The Gift
by scorp-luvs-rose-4eva
Summary: The Golden Trio and Ginny are back for another year at Hogwarts, but two months into their school term, it becomes evident that their year will not be spent at the Hogwarts they know after an eventful night sends them and a few of their new friends on an unpredictable journey.
1. Prologue: He

Prologue: He's Done It

**A/N: Okay, I'm really excited about this newest story I'm posting. I wrote it with my friend Kacey, and we've been writing it for a few years. It's finally finished, and we are psyched to start posting it online.**

****NOTE: We've just changed John's name to Levi, because of a name clash we discovered—so that's the only reason we've reposted this chapter. **

The girl standing in the quaint little kitchen was short for her age, though her body was slender and shapely. Her long red hair fell in curls around her face as she stared down at the newspaper with hazel eyes. The brown haired boy sitting at the kitchen table was watching her with dark grey eyes, puzzled by her frozen stance.

"Ally?" he said quietly, but she appeared not to hear him.

She was studying the picture on the front page; in shock, almost. In the photo, a tired teenaged boy stared straight at the camera. He had messy black hair and brilliant green eyes that seemed to stare into hers with a dazed look. He looked as though he didn't believe what was happening.

She didn't look up from the newspaper even when her uncle Jacob walked into the kitchen behind her, but she spoke. "He's done it." She didn't speak too loudly, but her uncle paused in the act of pouring his coffee. There was a note in her voice that he couldn't ignore.

"What? Who? Who's done what?" When Ally was silent, he looked at the boy. "Levi? What's going on?"

Levi shook his head. "I don't know. She's been standing like that for a few minutes."

Jacob, concerned, walked over and put a hand on her shoulder. "Ally, what's happened?"

"Harry. He's killed You-Know-Who. For good this time, it looks like. He's quoted in here, saying he's certain that You-Know-Who can never return again." Levi straightened in his seat, eyes wide.

"What?" Jacob took the paper from Ally and scanned the article quickly. Then he looked at the picture for a long moment, unable to repress the shudder from the haunted and disbelieving look in Harry's eyes. He shook his head quickly. "Lyn!"

His wife came running down the stairs and burst into the kitchen. Her friend came in on her heels, carrying a dark-haired little girl on her hip. Without a word, Jacob handed them the paper.

Lyn stared at it for several moments, seeming to read it more than once, as if she didn't believe it. When she finally looked up, she stared at Jacob in astonishment. "It's over." She said, sounding shell-shocked. "It's actually over." Jacob nodded and she threw her arms around him and kissed him. He responded, grinning against her lips, and only pulled away when Ally cleared her throat. Lyn and Jacob turned to face her.

"Well?" Ally asked. "What do we do now?"

Levi snorted, "Good question."

Jacob looked thoughtful for a moment, and then looked at Lyn's friend. "Celeste, you know what you have to do."

"Yes." Lyn's friend, Celeste, held the little girl in her arms tighter and left the room.

Jacob nodded resolutely and looked at Ally and Levi. "Now, we get prepared. And then we wait."

**A/N: So there's the prologue. We know all the characters are unfamiliar right now, but eventually, you'll find out who they are. Please review and tell us what you think! We'll post the next chapter soon, so keep reading!**


	2. Chapter 1: Planning

Chapter 1: Planning

**A/N: Okay, here's the first chapter! Have fun reading and please review, we always appreciate feedback!**

Ginny POV

My seventh year kicked off with a few surprises.

Number one, Harry and Ron were coming back to school with me to complete their seventh year. There was no doubt in my mind that Hermione would, but I expected Ron and Harry to find jobs and start out their lives. Harry told me the main reason he's coming back is because he doesn't want to lose me again, but I think he told Ron and Hermione something different. He probably didn't want them to know how much he depends on me.

Number two, there were three new students joining Hogwarts this year. That was strange. Sure, I had seen kids get pulled out of Hogwarts, but I'd never seen them transfer. They were in their seventh year and had made Gryffindor house. Kacey and Sarah were sisters that definitely looked it, both had green eyes, and their hair colors were close, though Kacey's was more red as opposed to Sarah's brown. Jose was Kacey's boyfriend of a year. With dark skin and dark brown hair, he was sweet and funny, and had cute pet names for Kacey like Honeybear and My-lady. Anyway, I liked them right away and I think Harry did too.

Another thing I was surprised about was that I went back to school with Harry as my boyfriend. He had to go through a lot after the Final Battle, what with the memorials and paparazzi trying to follow him everywhere. I thought he was going to curse a reporter or photographer on more than one occasion. It also surprised me that the reporters didn't really seem to know that Harry and I were even together. He was still being labeled #1 bachelor by Witch Weekly, with Ron at #4 right behind him. I think I was lucky to get him alone for a few minutes to talk. I somehow managed to catch him in his dormitory right after the Final Battle. He seemed a little surprised to see me, but not surprised that the first thing I did upon seeing him was slap him. I think the thing that surprised him most, though, was that I burst into tears immediately afterwards. Talk about making a fool of yourself in front of the guy you love. Harry managed to take it in stride and held me until I stopped bawling my eyes out. His comforting words also helped me regain control of my emotions. He told me he missed me, and I said the same thing back. He also said that he hadn't really realized how much he depended on my jokes and laughter until he was on the run. I smiled at him and he just stared for a minute, searching my face. I thought he was going to say something else, but then he took my face in his hands and he kissed me. That's when I knew that I really loved him. After everything he'd been through, the first thing he did, was ask me to go out with him again. We talked a lot over the next few months. We talked about nothing and everything. He told me about his year on the run. I told him about my year under the Carrows. We talked about what we wanted to do after we finished school, and we subtly made clear that we were hoping to be together for a long time.

Ron and Hermione were together, too—it's about time. If I said I wasn't surprised that Ron finally got the guts to ask Hermione out, I would be lying. Oh sure, I was glad they had finally figured out they liked each other, but still, after the whole year on the run, Ron didn't ask Hermione officially to be his girlfriend until after the Final Battle-and Harry even told me about that crazy kiss.

But let's get back to the new students. Jose, Sarah and Kacey played a big part in our seventh year at Hogwarts, and they became part of our group quickly and solidly. Kacey was the one with spirit. She had her opinions, and she stuck to them stubbornly; she and Ron got into arguments more than once over the first week of school about all kinds of things. Hermione liked her right off the bat-only because she agreed with S.P.E.W. and joined immediately. I think Harry almost fainted when he saw her wearing the badge the next day. She's also really impatient, which is quite funny to watch sometimes. Sarah was a little loud and definitely hyper, breaking into song randomly and occasionally while Kacey laughed. She and I got on really well. She was also stubborn about her views and she steadfastly disagreed with Hermione and Kacey's House Elf Liberation movement. Jose was one of the sweetest guys I'd ever met, and he was hilarious too. He was a great boyfriend to Kacey, but when we hung around in the common room, he usually had multitudes of people in stitches laughing. Hermione really had to crack down on him to get his homework done on time, and during these rants, he always begged Kacey for help, but she refused, claiming he needed to learn from someone.

A month and a half after school started, we were all sitting in the Head's Common Room, made available by Ron and Hermione's prestigious positions. They were trying to plan the Halloween Ball-at least Hermione was, and had enlisted our help. If Ron thought our involvement would lessen the work he had to do, Hermione soon proved him wrong. We had already decided it would be a costume ball, and were now working on signs and decorations. However, Kacey soon pulled us off topic.

"So, what kind of costumes are you guys planning on wearing?" She asked with a grin. "I'm thinking of going with a crystal blue ball gown and red heels with a crystal tiara. Like a princess."

"Ooooh." I grinned. "Going for red, huh?"

"Just a splash." Kacey replied. "What about everyone else?"

"I'm thinking a dark pink knee-length dress with black embroidery along the bottom and a black halter strap...I saw it on our summer visit to Hogsmeade. And I'll go with black heels and a black diamond tiara. Like a dark princess." Sarah grinned as she finished her explanation.

"That sounds intriguing..." Hermione said hesitantly. "I'm sure you'll get a Slytherin date that way." she said dryly. "I think we should all go as princesses of some sort...we've got Kacey and Sarah figured out...now me and Ginny...what do you think?"

"Hmm...I'm thinking a sheathe dress...dark blue, to my calves...like a sorceress princess. I'll wear a tiara with dark blue stones and dark blue shoes," I said.

"Do we get to see these before the ball?" Harry asked, reaching for me.

I slapped his hand away playfully. "No! Why would you even think that?" Harry pouted, and I grabbed his hand. "Oh, you know I love you."

He beamed, "Love you too, Gin."

I smiled and turned to Hermione. "Alright, let's get you figured out."

"A light pink ball gown with matching shoes and a silver tiara. Just a princess, like Kacey." Hermione stared off into the distance.

"You're going to look beautiful." Ron said, taking her hand. "I can't wait, now."

"What?" Hermione said in mock surprise. "You mean now that you know I'll be all dolled up? You still have to help, you know."

"Wait, wait." I said quickly. "We have to figure out costumes for the boys. Harry can wear a suit with a dark blue tie, and Ron can wear a suit with a light pink tie. Jose can wear one with a light blue tie."

"Light pink? That's a girly color!" Ron protested.

"Ron..." Hermione said gently. "It's a dance, and it's formal. It's tradition for guys to wear the same colored tie as their dates dress."

Kacey POV

"Hey, honeybear." Jose walked into the Head common room with a grin.

I smiled back. "Hey, Jose."

Jose was my boyfriend of a year. We had known each other for years, having gone to school together before Hogwarts. He came over and gave me a hug from behind, kissing the top of my head.

"So, what are you guys discussing?"

"A Halloween dance." I said nonchalantly.

"Ah." Jose said with a smile. "Well, I believe there's a certain question I need to ask you."

I raised an eyebrow. "And what question is that?"

"Will you go to this Halloween dance with me?" Jose asked, getting down on one knee.

"Oh, you." I said, pulling him to his feet. "Of course I will."

"Well." Hermione said briskly. "Ron, we better go run this by Professor McGonagall. We'll be back, guys."


	3. Chapter 2: Draco Malfoy

Chapter 2: Draco Malfoy

**A/N: Here's our second chapter! Hope you enjoy it!**

**Disclaimer: We are not J.K. Rowling, unfortunately. If we were, I wouldn't be drowning in debt from school loans. **

Notices for the dance went up the next day. The reaction by the student body was typical. Girls got giggly whenever their crushes went by, and boys got nervous. I knew for a fact that this morning during breakfast, Ginny had come close to hexing at least five girls for approaching Harry. I was glad my boyfriend wasn't at such high demand.

Ginny pulled Harry out of the Great Hall soon after they'd gotten there, probably to go wait outside our first class early-which would successfully get them away from most girls. The rest of us met them outside the classroom door about five minutes before it was supposed to start.

"Ah, Sarah, there you are." Ginny said with a grin. "We need to get you a date."

"Ah, really guys, it's okay." Sarah replied nervously, looking at Ginny warily.

"No, no, she's right." I chimed in with a smile.

"Kacey!" Sarah exclaimed. "You're supposed to be on my side with this one!"

"I'm supposed to be concerned with your well-being. And your well-being would be loads better if you had a date to this dance." I replied with a smirk.

Sarah sighed, and luckily for her, the bell rang at that moment and the discussion was postponed for Defense Against the Dark Arts.

Sarah POV

I was afaid. Afraid that Ginny and Kacey were going to make me do something embarrassing. For the time being, I was lucky. We were doing Patronuses in class and Professor Weasley, George, was having Harry demonstrate. George was Ginny's brother who had lost his twin in the War.

"Alright. Let's practice." Professor Weasley commanded.

I looked around at everyone and saw that a few were able to do Patronuses already, probably leftover knowledge from Dumbeledore's Army in Harry's fifth year. I thought of something I could use as a happy memory and decided on the day Kacey and I played particularly amusing prank on our brother.

"Expecto Patronum!" I shouted, jumping backwards when something silver actually appeared at the tip of my wand. It was a strong silver tiger, and it disappeared with my shock.

"Woah, Sarah!" Ginny exclaimed. "Not many people get theirs on the first try. In fact, I've never heard of it."

"Expecto Patronum!" Kacey shouted next to me. A silver cat burst from the tip of her wand and I gasped. Hers disappeared almost right away as well.

"Awesome, Kacey!" I grinned, holding my hand up for a high five.

She slapped my hand with hers and leaned forward, a grin on her face. "Remember when I told you that my first kiss with Jose was brilliant?" I nodded, and she giggled. "Well, it was definitely brilliant enough to help me get that on the first try." We both laughed and looked over when Ginny clapped her hands.

"You guys must be the miracle sisters!" Ginny exclaimed. "Both of you got it on your first try. Not even Harry was able to do that."

I grinned and produced my Patronus again, watching as it leaped around me, in it's beautiful silvery form. As I turned to watch it, I felt someone's eyes on me and turned to see the least likely person I thought it would be. Draco Malfoy was staring straight at me, his gaze unwavering, his face unreadable. My eyes met his and after a moment he looked away and I turned around to my friends. My Patronus had disappeared again.

Ginny was watching me with a strange look on her face. "Draco Malfoy was staring at you." She said, puzzled. "Almost like he liked you."

I laughed shakily. "Yeah, right. The day Malfoy asks out a Gryffindor is not coming anytime soon."

Ginny looked over my shoulder at Malfoy again and smirked. "I'm not so sure about that. It looks like finding you a date may have become a whole lot easier."

At lunch, Ginny informed the others of the Malfoy situation while I sat silently.

"He's changed." Hermione said thoughtfully. "I wouldn't mind if you went with him to the dance, you know. I don't think any of us would anymore."

"Guys..." I groaned. "He's not going to ask me."

"Oh, stop pretending you don't think he will. I wouldn't mind if you went with him either." Ginny said with a smile.

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever you say, Ginny."

We went to our afternoon classes and it was before dinner when it happened. It appeared Ginny had a little skill in Divination, though I knew for a fact it wasn't on her schedule.

I had told my friends that I would meet them in the Great Hall after I went to the bathroom. I was walking down the hallway when someone stopped me.

"Hey!"

I turned around and found myself face to face with Draco Malfoy.

"Um...Hi." I said.

"Hi. You're...Sarah, right?" Draco asked with a small smile.

"Yeah. And you're Draco Malfoy." I said, giving him a questioning look.

"Yeah." Draco said uneasily. "Coming from your group of friends, I'm sure you've heard a lot about me."

"A little," I said with a smile.

"Well...I was wondering if you'd be interested in going to the Halloween Dance with me?" Draco asked hesitantly.

My cheeks reddened. "Um...yes, Draco, I'd like that." I smiled and he nodded.

"Alright. Well, I'll see you around, Sarah."

I nodded and watched him walk away towards the dungeons. Then I turned and headed to the Great Hall, where my friends and sister were waiting.

Ginny grinned immediately when she saw me. "What happened?" She asked smartly.

"You were right." I said quietly, almost in shock. "He asked me."

"And?" Kacey leaned forward excitedly.

"And...I said yes." I grinned.

Ginny and Kacey squealed and Hermione smiled. "Well, now that we all have dates, we have to find our dresses."

Hermione POV

That weekend was a special Hogsmeade trip specifically for finding costumes for the dance. I had asked Professor McGonagall if Ginny, Kacey, Sarah, and I could go to Diagon Alley and get our dresses specially made and she had agreed as long as we were back by 5. Ron, Jose, and Harry were left to shop in Hogsmeade. Sarah had told Draco earlier that week to wear all black including a black tie.

We apparated from the upper room of the Hogs Head to the Leaky Cauldron and headed down the street to the shop owned by Fleur. It was called _Les Belles Choses_, which meant 'pretty things' in French. When we walked in she came hurrying out.

"'Ermione, Ginnee, 'oo 'ave you brought? What are you doing 'ere?"

"Hi, Fleur." Ginny said, hugging her sister in law. "This is Sarah and Kacey. They're friends from school, they were new this year. We have a Halloween dance next weekend and were wondering if you could help us with our dresses. We already have them planned, we were hoping you could tailor them."

"Aaah, Ginnee, I'd love to." Fleur smiled. "Come on back. Give me a minute to get my measuring tape and then I'll measure you and you can pick out materials."

"Thank you." Sarah and Kacey said at the same time.

"Thanks, Fleur." Ginny and I said.

We went back into the dressing room area and looked at all of the fabrics surrounding us.

"There's every color in every material imaginable here!" Kacey exclaimed. "Let's look for our colors."

We searched quickly and found the materials by the time Fleur came in with her measuring tape and other tailoring tools, her wand holding her hair back in a chignon.

"Oooh, girls, you are fast. Let's measure you all first, and then I'll tailor your dresses."

Though we spent hours at Fleurs shop, it barely seemed to last that long at all. We were always doing something. Fleur had us putting pins in the fabric, cutting lengths, and holding the dresses just to make it easier for her to complete them. We had a brief break for lunch and Bill visited from Gringotts, but Fleur pushed him out after only a half hour, saying we had a lot to do. By 3:30, our dresses were finished and packaged, ready to be taken back in my handy dandy beaded bag.

Next, Fleur took us shoe-shopping and tiara shopping. She knew exactly where to go and we found our things pretty quickly. At 6:45 we all gave her hugs and left to Apparate back to Hogsmeade, thanking her profusely. Somehow we managed to get to my room, where we would be keeping our dresses, without running into our dates.

None of us could wait for next weekend.

**A/N: Please review, we love to hear what you think!**


	4. Chapter 3: Beautiful Girls

Chapter 3: Beautiful Girls

The week passed slow. This was the first week of my life I actually didn't want to go to classes. I know, it's a shock. I was just so excited to go to my first real dance with Ron, the boy of my dreams. From the way he was acting around me, he seemed really nervous and that made the girls and I laugh every time he did something stupid. I thought it was cute.

Finally, it was Saturday. We went to breakfast in jeans and t-shirts and then retreated into my room. We could hear the boys-the Gryffindor ones at least-in the Head Common Room laughing and talking. First, we decided to get into the partying mood and turned on some music. Everyone pooled their favorites, so we had some Jonas Brothers, Weird Sisters, Taylor Swift, Miley Cyrus, and Katy Perry.

We had a pretty interesting dance party until Kacey saw the clock.

"Aaaah!" She screeched. "We only have four hours to get ready!"

"Alrite, alrite!" I called with a laugh, turning down the music. "Let's do hair first." We all changed into shorts and tank tops and took out our combined hair supplies. "Let's all do each others in an updo."

"Good idea." Sarah said. "We'll do like a French twist bun with some curls hanging out and bangs clipped back."

"Oooh...that will look pretty." Ginny said with a grin. "Let's get started." We all got into a circle and did each other's hair all at once. When we were done, we all looked gorgeous, with the same basic hairstyle and different variations on it depending on who had done who's hair.

"Alrite, what's next? We all look beautiful, so how can we enhance this beauty even more?"

Sarah POV

"Let's do nails, then get in our dresses and do makeup." Hermione grinned.

"Alright," Ginny said. "Shall we all do French manicures? After all, our hair is up in variations of the French twist, so it only seems right that our nails are French too."

"I agree, but let's paint our French tips in different colors." I suggested.

"Yes!" Kacey exclaimed. "That's a cool idea."

"Let's partner up! I call Kacey!" Ginny exclaimed.

"Alright, that puts us together, Hermione."

Hermione grinned at me in response and we all got started. Another hour later, after several coats of nail polish, we opened up the door a crack to air out the room.

"Who's hungry?" Ginny asked as we air-dried our nails, speeding up the process with our wands.

"I think we all are, but just how are you planning to leave this room without letting the boys see you? They're right outside." I pointed out.

Ginny smiled slyly. "I'm not planning to leave the room. Harry ordered Kreacher to come when I call."

"Kreacher comes when you call?" Hermione asked incredulously. "B-but you don't even live with him! Ron and I have lived in Grimmauld Place since two weeks after the Final Battle and he doesn't come for us."

Ginny shrugged. "I guess we'll have to hit the books on that later. For now, it's time to put on our dresses."

We all pulled on our dresses and did each other's makeup fairly quickly. When done, we had five minutes to spare before we were supposed to meet the boys in the Entrance Hall. Ginny, Kacey, and Hermione had told their dates to meet them in the Entrance Hall instead of the Head common room because Draco couldn't very well come in there and they wanted us all to meet our dates together.

"Alright, are we ready to go?" Hermione asked, slipping on her shoes. We all followed suit and Hermione opened the door slowly to make sure all of the boys were definitely gone. "Let's get down there." She said with a grin.

We took our time walking down and as we were approaching the last staircase, I could see the boys waiting in a corner, Draco standing off to the side.

"Well, girls, let's go." Ginny grinned at us all as we started descending the stairs.

The boys had seen us coming and made their way to the bottom so they met us when we got there. As I walked towards him, Draco walked to meet me and pulled a rose from behind his back.

"Hello, Sarah. You look beautiful." He said quietly.

"Thanks." I said shyly, taking the rose and smelling it. "And thank you for the flower, it smells beautiful. And...you look quite good yourself." I said, admiring the way he looked in all black.

Kacey, Ginny, and Hermione also got flowers from their dates and were exchanging similar pleasantries. I spelled mine to my dorm so it would stay alive on my nightstand and I wouldn't have to worry about it all night.

"Shall we go in?" Draco asked, holding out his arm.

I smiled at him. "Yes."

Kacey POV

Jose handed me a daisy with a low bow and a grin when I reached him, then stood and kissed me on the cheek. "You look gorgeous, Honey-bear."

"Thank you." I said with a grin back.

"Shall we go and dance?" Jose asked.

"Of course." I smiled. "You do know how to dance, right?"

"Oh!" Jose pretended to look offended. "Si, Senorita, of course I do! I can do the salsa and the tango and any other dance you can think of, including the macarena." He grinned cockily at me and I giggled.

"I think everyone can do the macarena, honeybun." I replied, taking his hand but letting him lead me into the Great Hall.

Ginny POV

"Hey, Harry." I said with a smile.

"Hello, love." Harry smiled, taking my hand and kissing it then pulling me in to give me a real kiss. When he pulled away he handed me a boquet of flowers.

"Mmmm, Harry, they're beautiful."

"Just like you." Harry said with a charming grin.

"Oh, shut up." I said, hitting him on the arm.

Harry laughed and put his arm around my waist. "Let's go in."

Hermione POV

"Hi, Ron." I said, kissing my boyfriends cheek.

"Hermione...y-you look gorgeous." Ron said with an awed look.

"Thanks," I said, blushing.

"Well, let's go in. I think they're serving dinner first." Ron said, grabbing my hand.

"Is food all you think about?" I asked with an incredulous look.

"No." Ron looked afronted. "I'm merely stating the facts."

I rolled my eyes as we walked into the Great Hall.


	5. Chapter 4: Travelling

Chapter 4: Traveling

**A/N: Alright, here's the slight twist you've all been waiting for! Enjoy! And please review—we love to know what you think!**

Harry POV

I had made a promise to myself to be civil to Malfoy for Sarah. He was treating her nicer than I would have expected. My test, of course, was having to eat dinner at the same table as him.

We sat and said hi to each other and ordered our meals in the same way we'd ordered them during the Yule Ball. After that, we barely had time to test the level of tolerance we had for each other.

I barely even noticed that we all took our first bites at the same time, but after the commotion that followed, that was my last concern.

I was just about to remark to Ginny that the food was always so good, when there was a huge bolt of lightning, a crash of thunder, and then the world exploded.

Or seemed to. There was a bright flash of light and then we were in a hallway on the other side of the school.

"What did you do?" Ginny screeched.

"Nothing!" We all answered at the same time.

"Calm down!" Hermione exclaimed, always the level-headed one. "Let's figure out what just happened."

"Something just took us across the school, that's what." Ron retorted.

"Someone must have put something in our food." Malfoy said.

"That could be." Hermione replied, thinking.

We went silent when we heard voices.

"Padfoot, that was wicked!" A boy's voice exclaimed. "Did you see his face?"

"Prongs, I thought he was gonna pass out."

"Yeah, well, Snivellus had it coming to him, that Death Eater scum."

"We shouldn't have done that." Another voice sang.

"Is he going to come after us now?" A smaller voice said.

"Don't worry Wormtail, we'll keep him from you."

My face paled as I realized what had happened. "Ginny..." I said hoarsely.

"Oh my Merlin." She whispered.

"We need to get out of here!" Hermione exclaimed.

"POTTER! You're Head Boy, what did you think you were doing?" A girl's voice joined the chaos around them and I froze.

"Mum." I breathed.

"Come on, Potter." Malfoy said next to me. "If no one else, at least you have to hide. You look too much like your father."

But I couldn't move. We had traveled back in time to when my parents were in school.

"Come on, Lils, you know I did it for you. He called you that disgusting name again, and more," my dad said.

I heard my mum groan and then they were around the corner.

"Who are you?" A younger Sirius asked.

"We need to see the Headmaster." Hermione said shakily, bringing a hand to her chest.

"Bloody hell, it's Jam-"

"Shut up, Ron!" Hermione hit her boyfriend on the arm.

Kacey POV

"Who _are_ you?" The boy I presumed to be James Potter asked. He looked just like Harry.

"We need to see the Headmaster." I said firmly, copying Hermione. "Now."

"Alright, calm down. I'm Head Boy, I'll take you there."

"I'm coming." Lily said resolutely. "I'm Head Girl." She added when it looked like James would protest. "You three, go back to Gryffindor Tower."

"Gin..." Harry said weakly from behind me.

"Harry...it's okay." Ginny said, as Harry slid down the wall to a sitting position.

He was really pale.

"Go get Professor Dumbeldore, James. And Remus, get Madame Pomfrey." Lily ordered. She knelt in front of Harry. "Are you okay? Remus is getting the matron now."

Ginny POV

I sat next to Harry on the ground, pulling up my dress to avoid stepping on it. "Harry, it's okay." I whispered. "I know it's a shock, but we'll figure out what's going on."

"I don't believe it." Harry said, staring at a young Lily Evans. Lily looked disconcerted that he was staring at her.

"What seems to be the problem?" Professor Dumbledore approached the group, followed by James, and Hermione jumped to her feet.

"Oh, thank goodness, Professor Dumbledore, we need to speak to you...urgently. But Harry needs water or chocolate or something first."

"Very well, I'll have something waiting in the office. Madame Pomfrey is there as well. Thank you, Mr. Potter, Black, Lupin, Pettigrew, Miss Evans. You may go back to your common rooms."

"Professor..." Lily asked hesitantly. "Is there anything we can do?"

"I will inform you if there is, Miss Evans."

Draco POV

We were in Dumbledore's office, and it hadn't changed a bit.

Harry was having a bar of chocolate and Hermione was explaining what happened and making clear the relationship between Harry, James, and Sirius. She left out Lily, and for good reason. Sarah had a tight hold on my hand.

Dumbledore steepled his hands on his desk. "Well...it seems you've had quite a trial. You've traveled back 21 years, to the time your parents were in school." He evaluated us in our seats. "You came from a school dance and all disappeared during dinner...we have all Gryffindors here?"

"And a Slytherin, Draco." Sarah added.

Dumbledore looked at me and I tried my best not to sneer. It was an automatic reaction by now, but I managed it.

"You're going to have to stay here until I find a way to send you back. It's October here as well, so you can continue with your studies. You're all seventh years?" When we nodded, he deliberated. "I think I'm going to put you with the Head Boy and Girl."

Harry paled.

"Even you, Mr. Malfoy. You're with Gryffindors now, so you'll have to stick with them. I'd like to keep you all together. As for dealing with Mr. Potter, you resemble each other very much...I think I'm going to keep our Head Boy and Girl informed of the situation. Madame Pomfrey, would you go and retrieve our Heads?"

Madame Pomfrey nodded and left quickly.

Dumbledore surveyed us again. "So...does Mr. Potter end up with Miss Evans, then?"

Hermione's eyes widened and Dumbledore chuckled. "I'll take that as a yes. You have your mothers eyes, Mr. Potter."

We waited in silence for James and Lily to come.

No POV

When James and Lily entered a few minutes later, Dumbledore gestured for them to sit down. Then he explained everything, only leaving out the fact that Lily was Harry's mother. He had us introduce ourselves and there was a dark look when Draco said his last name, but Lily admonished James almost immediately.

Then they went to the Head Common Room. When the group entered the Common Room, Remus, Sirius, and Peter were waiting.

"Gin." Harry said under his breath. "Get over here."

Ginny looked at him quizzically and Harry beckoned again. When she stood next to him, he whispered. "I need you to keep me from killing Pettigrew."

Ginny's eyes widened and she made sure they sat as far from Peter as possible.

"So." James said. "Do you want to borrow clothes or something?"

"Oh, yes please." Hermione said gratefully.

A few minutes later, the group was changed and sitting in the Common Room in silence. They introduced themselves again and then the Marauders and Lily were just watching the time travelers, though only James and Lily knew where they came from.

"Well, this is awkward." Jose said, and everybody laughed nervously.

"Well, I guess we can just learn about each other...what we like and everything..." Hermione trailed off as everybody looked at her and she blushed.

"That's a good idea." Sirius smiled. "I'm Sirius Black, and I like girls." He winked at Ginny.

"Hey," Harry said with a smile. "That's my girlfriend you're looking at."

"Hey," Sirius replied with a grin. "I've stolen people's girlfriends before."

Ginny smiled sweetly. "Yes, but if you know what's good for you, you won't even try to make a move on me."

"What? Is your boyfriend gonna beat me up?" Sirius raised an eyebrow.

The time travelers burst into laughter.

"I could take you down in two seconds, but no." Harry said with a grin.

"Ever heard of the Bat-Bogey Hex?" Draco asked. "Let's hope you never do."

"It's Ginny's signature hex." Ron shuddered.

"It's even taken down a Death Eater or two." Ginny said with another sweet smile.

"I hope you meet my cousins one day." Sirius said.

Harry squeezed Ginny's hand and Draco snorted.

"So...I don't want to bring the room to an uncomfortable level or anything...but why do you, Harry, look just like James?" Remus asked with a raised eyebrow.

Everyone was silent as Harry appraised everyone in the room, his gaze on Peter an unsettlingly long time, before he finally spoke.

"We're from 21 years in the future. He's my dad." Harry said.

Lily stared at James, Remus stared at Harry, Peter looked back and forth between the two, and Sirius burst out laughing.

"James Potter, Marauder extraordinaire, star Quidditch player, ex-player, infatuated with a girl he may never have, is a father?" Sirius asked incredulously. "I don't believe it."

"Believe it." Harry laughed. "It's true."

"And he passed his quidditch playing, red-head loving, trouble-making genes on." Ginny grinned.

"Yeah, but his red-head loves him back." Sirius nodded to Ginny.

"Shut up, Sirius." James growled, turning to Harry. "You're a Quidditch player?"

"Yeah." Harry replied.

"Are you good?"

"I'm alright."

"Oh, shut up, Harry." Ginny said with a smile. "He could play for a national team if he wanted. He made the team in his first year. He's excellent."

"In your first year? That's not even allowed."

"Potter did a lot of things that weren't allowed." Draco said in a low voice.

"Draco here's actually the reason I got on the team." Harry said, changing the subject and telling the story.

"Oh-ho!" Sirius yelped. "I hope you turned out better than my brother will."

Draco didn't reply.

"So..." Lily started. "Why don't you tell us some more stories of when you went to school?"

"I've got one." Ginny said with a grin at Harry, who groaned.

"I already admitted that I was an idiot, do you have to tell everyone we meet?" he exclaimed.

"I wouldn't be Ginny Weasley if I didn't." Ginny smiled impishly. "So. When I met Harry, I had a crush on him immediately. I embarrassed myself countless times in front of him. Of course, I was his best mates sister," she indicated Ron, "so it's not like he noticed me. A few years later, in my third year, Harry's fourth, Hermione gave me some advice to start being myself with him and maybe he'd see me then. I took her advice, and he didn't notice me. Instead, I fell in love with him." She grabbed Harry's hand, ignoring his red face. "Two years later, he started to see me, but I had a boyfriend."

"Then," Harry cut in, "they broke up and I got banned from the last Quidditch match, for casting a curse that I _didn't know the outcome of."_ He didn't look at Draco, but his meaning was clear. "When I came back into the common room, I was really nervous about the outcome of the match. I saw Ginny running towards me right away, with this blazing and happy look on her face, and so I just kissed her. It was a few months later when I realized I loved her, but circumstances prevented me from telling her until almost eight months after that."

"Circumstances." Ginny snorted. When Harry looked at her in mild annoyance she smiled and rolled her eyes. "I know, I understand." She said.

"That's really romantic." Lily said with a dreamy look in her eyes. "How did you know you loved her?"

"I was away from her for a long time. It was during that time that I realized it."

Lily smiled softly and then turned to Ginny, a knowing look in her eye. "Who are your mother and father?"

"My mum's name was Molly Prewitt, now Weasley, and Dad's Arthur Weasley."

Lily grinned. "I knew them. Molly was Head Girl during my first year and Arthur was a prefect."

"And are you a Quidditch player?" James asked. He had a seemingly disinterested look on his face, but everyone in the room knew he thought the only girl right for his son would be a Quidditch player.

"Yeah." Ginny said with a grin. "I come from a family of Quidditch players. Ron plays Quidditch. Dad played Quidditch. And all my other brothers play Quidditch...except Percy."

"Are your brothers all older? I thought I heard that Molly had three kids already and is pregnant with twins?"

"Yeah, they're older. And Bill, Charlie, and Percy are the three kids. She must be pregnant with Fred and George, who will actually grow up to carry on the prank legacy of the Marauders." Ginny said wryly.

"Harry, I like her." James said.

Harry grinned. "I'm glad you approve."

"Well," Lily said, "I'm going to turn in for the night. Ginny, Hermione, Sarah, and Kacey, just come on in when you're ready to turn in. I'm sure you've had a long day."

Ginny stood up. "I think I'm going to turn in, too." She turned around and kissed Harry and, ignoring Sirius' wolf-whistle, murmured, "Love you."

"Love you, too, Gin." Harry replied with a grin.

Ginny winked and as she walked by Sirius with Lily towards Lily's room, hit her soon-to-be father-in-laws best friend on the back of the head.

"Hey!" He protested and then turned towards Harry. "Your girlfriend just hit me!"

"I know." Harry said smugly.

"And you aren't going to say anything to her?" Sirius asked incredulously.

"Good job, honey." Harry called after his girlfriend.

"Yeah, nice one, sis." Ron called after Ginny as well. Then he, Harry, and Jose burst into laughter. James, Remus, and Peter followed suit. Even Draco and Lily had small smiles on their faces, and Sarah, Kacey, and Hermione were at least trying to hold in their laughter. Sirius just looked disgruntled.

"You know what?" Hermione said. "I think Sarah, Kacey, and I are going to turn in as well." They each stood and kissed their respective boyfriends, Sarah kissing Draco on the cheek. Then they followed Lily and Ginny.

"We should probably get back to the common room, Sirius and Peter." Remus said, looking at his watch.

Sirius groaned and stood and he and Peter left the Head dorm after yelling goodbye to James. Unbeknownst to them, Remus stayed behind, waiting for Harry.

"James." Jose started. "I think we're all ready to hit the hay, too."

James nodded. "Alright, I'll lend you guys pajamas."

He left and Ron, Draco, and Jose followed.

Harry stayed sitting on the couch, staring at the place they disappeared. He couldn't believe he was actually meeting them. Any of them. He never thought he would see them ever again.

"Harry?"

Harry jumped to his feet with his wand whipped out at the tentative voice. Remus stood there with his hands up and Harry lowered his wand, apologizing.

"Sorry for sneaking up on you." Remus said. "I just wanted to ask a question."

"What kind of question?" Ginny sang quietly from behind him, causing him to jump. "Sorry." She said, but he could tell she didn't mean it. "It was just payback for Harry. Now, what's your question?"

Remus looked questioningly at Harry, and Harry gave him a look back. "I'll just tell her anyway." He stated.

"Alright...is Lily your mother?"

Harry's eyes widened in shock. "What-how-who-?" He stammered.

Remus smiled softly. "You have her eyes."

Harry's laugh was strained. "You'll say the exact same thing to me in about fifteen years." He said wryly. "Yes, Lily's my mum."

Remus nodded. "There's something you're not telling us, isn't there?"

Ginny hugged Harry from the side as he made eye contact with Remus. The look in his eyes was so sad that Remus took a step backwards.

"Yeah." He said heavily.

"Can you tell me?" Remus asked hesitantly.

Harry stared at Remus for a long moment.

"Harry..." Ginny said softly. "You don't have to."

Harry glanced at Ginny, then looked back at Remus. "Back in my time...you were all killed in the war."

Remus nodded slowly. "You looked like you had seen a ghost when we walked around the corner."

Harry laughed shortly. "That's because I had."

"Remus, did you think we would forget about you?!" Sirius called. Remus jumped, stared at Harry a moment longer and then turned to go.

"Harry, come on. Stop snogging my sister and come to bed!" Ron called in a disgruntled voice.

"What was that, Ron? Did you say start? Okay." Harry kissed Ginny, pulling her close to him, and only stopped when Ron came out of James' room and cleared his throat.

"Really, mate? Did you have to?"

"Of course he did." Ginny smiled. She kissed him one more time, and with a wink, went off to Lily's room.

"I love you!" Harry called after her.

Ginny waved over her shoulder and then Harry turned to Ron. "Just shut up already." Ron pushed Harry as he walked by and Harry pushed him back, whispering, "Remus knows."


	6. Chapter 5: Love and War

Chapter 5: Love and War

It was breakfast the next morning and the Marauders, Lily, and the time travelers had found themselves at one end of Gryffindor table, much to Draco's dismay. James was telling them stories of past pranks, most of them involving the humiliation of Slytherins.

"And so then, Remus and I waved our wands under the table, and the potions took effect, turning every Slytherin that had already eaten gold, with red hair. They had to be Gryffindors until they complimented someone of another house and meant the compliment." James explained with a laugh.

"And you told the House Elves to help you?" Hermione asked incredulously.

"Obviously." Sirius exclaimed. "You know, they 'live to serve' and all that." Sirius didn't seem to realize the danger of his words as Hermione bristled.

"Well, that doesn't mean you can take advantage of them!" Hermione snapped. "House Elves are creatures too! They have feelings, and they need wages and days off and-!"

Sirius burst out laughing. "Do you know what they would do if you tried to offer them wages? They would probably never want to see you again!"

"I've convinced a few already in my time." Hermione sat up straight.

"Yeah, one that was certifiably insane." Ron grumbled.

"Funny." Hermione said sternly. "Last time I checked that was the one who saved us all from getting killed at Malfoy Manor."

Draco winced and James whipped his head to him. "Malfoy? As in this guy?"

"Yes and no." Harry said hastily. "James-Dad, tell us about another prank."

James thought for a minute. "Hmmm...Hard to find one that doesn't bring back bad memories..." He chanced a glance at Lily.

"You mean one's that don't involve Snape?" Lily asked smartly, staring James down.

James looked at her and then nodded.

"What about the time...Oh...never mind." Remus thought as well.

"Oh!" Surius exclaimed. "What about the time we enchanted the suits of armour?"

"Yes!" James said excitedly. "We've done that twice so far. Once, in our second year, we had them hum the Darth Vader theme whenever Lucius Malfoy walked by." Draco choked on his pumpkin juice.

"Yeah," Peter chimed in.

Lily looked at them all incredulously. "How do you even know who Darth Vader is? He's a Muggle character."

"Sirius and I found a Muggle picture show once. We checked it out and it was pretty cool, so we brought Remus and Peter back to see the movie again." James explained, and Lily rolled her eyes.

"And the other time..." Sirius began. "We enchanted a couple to follow Minnie around and serenade her."

"Minnie?" Hermione asked.

"McGonagall." Remus said dismissively. "He's been calling her that since second year when he found out what her first name was."

"Oh!" Peter exclaimed. "And then the one where we slipped potions in Lucius Malfoy and his cronies pumpkin juice and they all grew beards and white hair...not that Lucius needed any help in that area."

"No offense to you, Draco." Remus added.

"None taken." Draco said quietly.

"What about some Lily pranks?" Sirius said slyly.

"Uh Sirius...I'm gonna say no..." James said hesitantly.

"Oh, you don't want to tell them?" Lily asked. "Then I will. There was the time they made my food explode in my face...um, there's definitely more. There was also the time they stole all my books and parchment and quills and had Peeves hide it so they didn't have to lie to me when I asked where it was...they honestly didn't know." Lily gave a short and humorless laugh. "Do you want to know where it was? I never found out. I found it two days later under my bed."

"I told him to put it back." James said.

"Really? So, it wasn't your idea to have him hide them in the first place?" Lily snapped.

"Actually it was mine." Sirius exclaimed, then stood and bolted over to his newest girl at the Ravenclaw table.

"I did go along with it...pretty quickly." James consented.

"Go along with it!" Lily waved her hand at James. "So you didn't help plan it in any way?"

"Look, Lily, it was nothing personal, your stuff was sitting there and we were bored."

"Oh? You were bored? Like all the times you've been bored and pranked Severus? Really? So was I going to be your next 'Snivellus'?"

"Not even close, Lily, not even close." James snapped, frustrated.

"Well then what the hell am I? Just someone to be nice to when you want something, like a date? I'm not gonna be that girl!" Lily jumped out of her seat and stomped off.

James ran after her, pulling the Map out of his pocket to see where she was going. Everyone else in their group started to get up, but Remus called them off. James burst into the empty classroom, angry as all get out.

"Don't you just randomly accuse me of something that's completely wrong and then run away!" He yelled.

Lily spun around. "Completely _wrong_, James? Over your time at Hogwarts, you've gone out with almost every girl within three years of you that's not in Slytherin. During and in between that time, you asked me out constantly. What am I supposed to think? Now, you're being all nice to me as if nothing has ever happened to make me hate you!"

"Merlin, Lily, you can't even see what's right in front of you! The only reason I went out with those girls was to forget you! I've been in love with you since the first time I talked to you! And then I pranked 'Snivellus' and then you hated me, and I kept trying to win you over, but I have no clue how anymore! You hate me, and I thought I hated you, and then I realized, this is not even close to hate! Lily, all I have ever asked for is one chance, and you won't even give me that, but you know what? I'm not gonna try anymore. Come see me if you feel like breaking my heart just one more time!" James finished with a snap, turning on his heel and leaving Lily sitting there in shock.

James closed the portrait hole behind him with a loud bang, causing a protest from the portrait's occupant. Everyone in the head common room jumped as James stomped to his room, and slammed the door closed.

Remus gave Harry a questioning look and he shook his head quickly, looking horrified. Sirius stood up. "I'll talk to him."

"Gin..." Harry said. "Come here, please." Ginny sat next to Harry and grabbed his hand.

"It does happen." She whispered. "Remus and Sirius said it does, in their seventh year."

Everyone looked up again as the portrait hole opened and Lily walked in, tears running down her face. She looked at everyone and her eyes fell on Ginny. "Ginny...can I talk to you?" She whispered.

Ginny nodded, kissed Harry on the cheek and followed Lily into her room. Lily sat on her bed and stared at the wall for a moment, before her gaze locked on Ginny, surprisingly piercing.

"Well? James is Harry's father. So who's his mother?"

"I can't tell you." Ginny said, looking regretful. "What did he say to you?"

"He basically said that he loved me but was giving up because I haven't given him a chance."

"Well, do you want to give him a chance?" Ginny asked.

"I don't know!" Lily exclaimed. "He's been annoying me and tormenting me since my first year, and I thought I hated him, but I don't know anymore!"

"Then why don't you take the chance and let yourself figure out what that unknown feeling is?"

"Because it's scary." Lily whispered. "It's scary taking that one step when you know it could end with you in pieces or feeling more full than you've ever been."

"Well, if you even have a chance of finding the one you're meant for, then why wouldn't you take it? I did." Ginny shrugged.

Lily stood up. "Get Sirius out of there."

Ginny sauntered out of Lily's room, calling, "Black, your girlfriend wants to see you outside," as she passed James' room. Sirius came out a second later and Lily slipped inside, closing the door behind her. Harry was staring at the doorway when Ginny came back into the Common Room and she gave him a grin, to which he looked relieved.

When she sat back down next to him, he leaned over with a wry smile. "It's a little weird to think of you playing matchmaker with my parents," he murmured, and Ginny giggled.

Lily closed the door of James' room behind her and stood with her back to it. James turned around and jumped when he saw her there.

"What?" James asked.

Lily stared at him, hesitated, then crossed the room and kissed him. James responded almost immediately, and after a moment, he pulled away with wide eyes.

"What the hell?" he asked, shocked.

Lily looked up at him with a spark in her eye. "You have one chance." She said with a small smile.

"I'll take it." James said, pulling her close and kissing her again.

**A/N: Please Review!**


	7. Chapter 6: Planning and Suspicion

Chapter 6: Planning and Suspicion

The months passed and soon it was coming up on Christmas time. Lily and James were happy together, and though they ran into a few problems, their friends soon snapped them out of it and they got back together stronger than ever. Professor Dumbledore gave them all a surprise when he announced a Christmas Ball to be held on Christmas Eve. Ginny, Hermione, Sarah, Kacey, and Lily were asked immediately by their boyfriends and were psyched, except for one small detail.

"What if this ball sends us back?" Draco asked apprehensively. They were all sitting in the Head Common Room helping James and Lily with decoration plans.

"I don't think it will." Hermione said without looking up from the parchment she was taking notes on.

"What are you doing over there?" Ron asked.

"I'm writing down a list of things related to Christmas and possible ways to include them in the decorations." Hermione responded, again without looking up.

"Should we have a theme?" Lily asked, looking at James.

"I don't care." James said. "As long as you're wearing a dress and looking more gorgeous than usual, I don't care what happens at that ball."

Lily blushed and shook her head. "Stop it, you. We're supposed to be planning the ball, here."

"Fine." James said. "Let's say you can wear Muggle or wizard clothes, but the guys have to wear black, white, or silver and the girls have to wear Christmas colors. Like gold, silver, red, white, and green, and I guess blue. You would look gorgeous in gold."

"Don't listen to him, Lily, he doesn't know what he's talking about. I had to wear a gold bridesmaid dress and I looked hideous." Ginny said from where she was sitting in Harry's lap and reading an old witch fashion magazine. "Witch fashion hasn't changed much." She remarked.

"It looked gorgeous on you, Ginny. Stop trying to tell people otherwise." Harry said absently, looking at the magazine over Ginny's shoulder.

"I'll have to try it on, obviously." Lily said, rolling her eyes. "You never can trust the word of the boyfriend."

"Hey!" James exclaimed. "I wouldn't say you look gorgeous if you didn't."

"You would probably say your girlfriend looked gorgeous in anything." Sarah piped up. "It's this thing with guys that anytime they see their girl, they think she looks amazing. It doesn't matter what she's wearing, or whether the outfit clashes with her hair or not. They take in the good parts of the look and only see that. For the most part."

"I doubt it." Kacey said. "Guys are gonna notice if you look lovely in something."

"You're both right." Remus said, looking up from his Transfiguration essay. "If the shape of the dress makes the girl look horrible, he'll focus on the color, and say that looks great on you. If the color clashes, they'll focus on a good shape, and say that you look great."

"How about we just stick with the fact that girls are confusing to boys, and boys are mostly confusing to girls?" Ron asked.

"He has a point." Hermione said smugly. "Many times girls can figure out what's on their boyfriends mind, but boys can't for the life of them figure out girls. Maybe 1 boy in every 1000 understand girls, and half the time that's because they're gay. I read it last week in one of those magazines Ginny keeps reading."

"Oh, I do remember that." Ginny said.

"I have successfully lined up a date for the ball." Sirius said, entering the Common Room with a flourish. "And let me tell you, is she hot."

"Every girl you'll ever go out with is considered hot, Sirius." Remus said, this time without looking up from his essay.

"There's one boy that's easy to understand." Kacey said. "Focused on the body, not the mind or personality."

Ginny, Hermione, Lily, and Sarah laughed.

"It couldn't be more true." Lily exclaimed with grin. "You've known him for two months, and you've already got him figured out."

"Who did you ask?" James asked.

"That sixth year Ravenclaw you went out with two years ago, Celeste." Sirius grinned.

James rolled his eyes, but looked partly relieved. "Oh. You made it sound like you were going with someone else. Celeste is your girlfriend, isn't it a given that you're going with her?"

"Not necessarily. Most girls will jump at the chance to go out with a Marauder. I might have gotten a better offer," Sirius replied with a roguish grin.

Lily snorted. "You're a pig," she said with a roll of her eyes.

"Just kidding, my Lilyflower," Sirius said sweetly.

"Not yours. Mine," James scolded lightly. Lily hid her smile behind her hand.

"So did you come up with the idea to have a legacy just to get girls?" Draco asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Not at all." James replied, cutting Sirius off, for his answer was surely to be in the affirmative. "We were an odd group from the beginning. The Pureblood from the good family, the rebelling Pureblood from the bad family, the one from the broken household, and the one who got on the wrong side of a monster. We wanted to leave something behind, and right now? Everybody knows our names, so we've succeeded so far."

"Who got on the wrong side of a monster?" Peter asked. The other three Marauders looked at him incredulously.

"Remus." Harry answered in a low voice. "Remus did."

"Oh, right, he's a-"

"Shut up!" James growled. "You idiot, that's not something you say aloud."

"What isn't?" Lily asked, narrowing her eyes.

"Umm..." James trailed off, looking helplessly at Lily.

"We all already know." Harry remarked softly to Remus, who sighed.

"I'm a werewolf. My dad angered a brutal wolf years ago and he attacked me." Remus said firmly.

"Oh, Remus." Lily said, looking up at him. "Moony...that's where your nickname comes from." Then she turned to James and narrowed her eyes. "Do I want to know where yours came from?"

"Not right now, you don't." James said. "I'll tell you later." Lily stared at him for another minute and then nodded.

"Alright, anyway," Lily said, "Let's see your list, Hermione." When Hermione handed it over, Lily's eyes widened. "James, she's done more work than you and she doesn't even go to school in this time."

"She's Head Girl in our time, too." Ginny said. "And she's in the same situation, Ron never does anything either."

"Hey!" Ron protested. "I patrol."

"Yeah, and that's about it." Ginny rolled her eyes.

"It's true." Kacey said. "Sarah, Ginny, and I do more than he does and only Ginny's a prefect."

"They're right, Ron." Hermione said amusedly. "And half the time, you're lucky I love you."

"Well, maybe I'll try to help more when we go back." Ron said defiantly.

"At this rate, we won't get back by the end of the school year." Ginny said, rolling her eyes.

"Do you think they realize we're gone? Or will we go back on the same day we left?" Draco asked.

"It depends." Hermione said with a sigh. "I've been doing research, and I can't even find the reason we got sent here."

"I don't know if there was a specific reason, maybe it was supposed to be a prank." Lily remarked. "I have a feeling, though, that you might not get back on the same day you left."

"Mum is going to freak out." Ginny said softly. "And I mean freak. I wouldn't be surprised if she curses McGonagall for letting it happen."

"Tell me what happened again." James said contemplatively.

"We were eating at the feast at the ball and we each took a bite and ended up here." Harry said briefly.

"Have you looked in potions books?" James asked, standing and starting to pace.

"Yeah, why, do you know something?" Ginny asked, leaning forward.

"I think it's a powder. There's a book somewhere, it's not at the school library, though, and it's about potions that, with a spell, turn to powder. I flipped through it once, to find some pranks, but I think I remember something about a powder that sends people back. It was like a reliving thing." James explained. "I don't know why they would want you to relive this particular year though."

"I do." Harry said softly. "But I don't know why they want me to see it in the first place. And, more importantly, I don't know who's done it. I made a lot of enemies throughout my life."

"It could be someone giving you a sort of gift, or it could be a fake-out. Someone may have needed you gone to do what they had to." Sarah guessed.

"Exactly." Harry agreed.

"Well, let's focus on the dance for now." Ginny said. "We'll figure out what happened after New Years. This is not a fun topic, considering the alternatives."

"Okay. Ginny's right." Lily said, after being silent for a while.

**A/N: Hope you enjoyed! Review please! **


	8. Chapter 7: Finding the Perfect Dress

Chapter 7: Finding the Perfect Dress

**A/N:** **Here's our next chapter!**

**Also, just a note to the reader who left a review claiming that Hermione would not be okay with Draco being around and also stating that he was a violent criminal, we think that is a matter of opinion. Draco never directly identified any of the Trio at Malfoy Manor, and also failed to kill Dumbledore. We see him more as a boy who got caught up in his father's ideology and discovered it was not as glamorous as he thought it would be, and so regretted his involvement. We were never given the end of Draco's story in canon, so how he ended up and what kind of person his experiences made him into is a matter up for debate. However, we'd prefer not to have that debate through our story. We used our opinion to write it, and if you don't have the same opinion, or dislike some of our characterization of some of Rowling's characters, you don't have to continue reading. Thank you.**

**We hope you enjoy this chapter!**

Just like back in present day, the week before the dance there was a Hogsmeade day especially put aside for shopping for it. The girls were leaving early to try and hit the stores before the rest of the school got there.

"Come on, you guys. We have to get there soon so we can get all of the best picks." Hermione called down the hall.

"I'm ready." Lily said, coming out of her room in yoga pants and a sweatshirt. They had all decided to dress comfortably, seeing as they would be trying on dresses for half of the day.

Sarah and Kacey followed Lily out of her room, half dragging Ginny.

"I'm tired." she whined. "Why do we have to go so early?"

"Don't you want to find a good dress and look great for Harry?" Sarah asked.

"Yeah, but I don't need to do that at the crack of dawn." Ginny replied, wiping her eyes.

"Suck it up." Kacey said. "And let's go. Half of the school is going to be there, so we better get going."

"Alright." Ginny said. "Let's head to the kitchens and grab some orange juice and muffins."

"The kitchens?" Lily asked. "We're not allowed down there."

"Oh, give it a rest." Ginny said, leading the way down the stairs. "I bet you ten Galleons the Marauders knew where the kitchens were in their first year, and I myself? I've been going there since my third year."

"But that's the Marauders!" Lily protested.

"And I'm a soon to be Marauder daughter-in-law. I know, I know." Ginny waved her off.

"Ginny! Are you saying Harry proposed?"

"Not yet he didn't." Ginny threw a smug grin over her shoulder.

"Ginny, we can't just go asking the house elves for everything. We should go to breakfast like normal people." Hermione said.

"Hermione, none of us want to hear about S.P.E.W. right now." Ginny said, coming up in front of the picture of the fruit bowl and tickling the pear. Then she opened the door and was bombarded by several elves.

"What can we do for you, Miss?"

"Good morning." Ginny smiled. "We'd like five muffins and five glasses of orange juice, please."

"Of course." The elf bowed, and barely two seconds later, five more elves were walking up carrying a tray with their food on it.

"Thank you." Ginny said, passing their breakfast around. "Now, let's go girls."

The five girls headed up the stairs and started on the path to Hogsmeade.

"That was the fastest service ever!" Lily exclaimed.

"Yes, it was." Ginny said with a grin. "I love house elves."

"I wonder if things happen that fast at James' house." Lily remarked. "He was talking to me the other day about how at Potter Manor...I know, I know, he's got a manor named after him, but anyway, at Potter Manor, they have five house elves."

"There's a Potter manor?" Ginny asked.

"Yeah." Lily said. "Doesn't Harry live there?"

"Um..oh, yeah." Ginny said, stumbling over her words. "Of course..."

Hermione gave Ginny a look that said, 'don't be so obvious,' and Ginny nodded, but it was too late.

"He doesn't live there, does he?" Lily asked, a sad look on her face.

"No." Ginny said softly. "I don't know why...maybe he's not supposed to inherit it until a certain age."

"Do you think it got destroyed?" Lily asked quietly.

"If it did, he would still have the property."

"Why don't you ask James about the magic involving it? He would know if anything needs to happen before it gets passed down," Kacey said wisely.

"Good idea," Lily said, before going silent.

"Alright, girls." Sarah said, as they stopped in front of a shop called Madame Josephine's Boutique. "Here goes."

Kacey grabbed the door and held it open for the group. The shop was a little busy, but in the next hour it was sure to fill up quickly. The girls immediately found the racks with their sizes on them, and just started pulling dresses off, whichever ones they liked. When they each had at least seven in their arms, they headed to the dressing rooms. To take up less room, they claimed one dressing room and took turns trying on dresses and getting feedback. Of course, the inconvenient part of that was that all of the friends may have loved a dress, but the actual wearer didn't. A few times, one girl ended up giving a dress to another to try on. Eventually, after spending at least two and a half hours in the store, they found dresses. The average reaction for the picked dress was, "Oh, that's the one."

"Alright." Ginny said. "Are we all ready to check out? We all have our gorgeous dresses to wear next week?"

"Yes." Sarah and Kacey said excitedly.

"And we all looked amazing trying them on." Lily grinned. "Imagine how we'll look with our hair and makeup done, and imagine what the boys will say."

"Imagining." Sarah sang, spinning around. The girls managed to check out surprisingly quickly by pooling their money and making one big purchase.

"Now..." Hermione said, "To the shoe store."

"Oh boy." Sarah said. "This is gonna be a problem. I love shoes."

"Are you going to go home with five inch heels?" Kacey teased. Sarah sighed as she thought of all the shoe possibilities. "Sarah, snap out of it. I don't think Draco would appreciate it if you came to the ball taller than him!" Kacey laughed.

"That doesn't mean I can't dream." Sarah said, opening the door to the shoe store, called Daniella's Shoes.

Shoe shopping only took about a half hour, and as predicted, Sarah took the longest time in deciding. In the end her final pick was between five inch black stilettos and a pair of a more reasonable height, by maybe two inches. The debate only ended when Kacey took the stiletto's and hid them, annoying Sarah but allowing her to admit that the shorter heel was probably the better way to go.

By that time, it was time to meet the boys for lunch. Lily led the way to the Three Broomsticks and walked across the main dining room to a large table in the corner. The girls piled their dresses, covered in concealment charms and packaged carefully, on one of the chairs, and stacked the shoe boxes on the floor next to them. By the time that was done, the boys were making their way across the floor towards them.


	9. Chapter 8: Snapshots of the Future

Chapter 8: Snapshots of the Future

"So, do I get to see your dress?" Harry asked with a grin, kissing Ginny on the cheek.

"No." Ginny admonished, pulling him into the seat next to hers. "Nice try, handsome." Then the girls went around the table and told their dates what color ties they should be wearing.

"You're going to look gorgeous." Harry said with a smile.

"Why, thank you." Ginny grinned.

"Lils, I can't wait to take you to our first dance together," James said with a grin. Lily smiled back.

When Madame Rosemary, Madame Rosmerta's mother, came to the table, the group ordered a butterbeer and sandwich each.

Madame Rosemary nodded with a smile. "It'll be up before you know it."

"So..."Jose spoke. "Do your dances work the same way as ours do?"

"I don't know." Remus replied. "It seems so, so far. All you future guys have mentioned the same things we have to get ready."

"True, true." Jose responded.

"Harry..." James began hesitantly. "Didn't you say you know why someone would have sent you back to this year?"

"I did." Harry replied cautiously, looking at his and Ginny's hands, clasped on the table.

"What reason is that?" James asked.

Harry looked around at everyone. Their eyes were focused on him and he shook his head. "I can't say. But I may be wrong. The reason I'm thinking of...mostly pertains to only me, and eight of us came back...three of which I've never met before September, and one of which I used to hate. So, I guess I thought I knew the reason, but I don't know for sure. The reason I'm most worried about is that someone wanted me away so they could carry out plans without me stopping them."

"I think that's over, though, Harry." Ginny said, squeezing his hand.

"But, you don't know that. Nobody knows that." Harry protested.

"Harry, your job was to get rid of Voldemort. And you did that. He's dead and gone. And if any stupid Death Eaters decide to make another move, let the Aurors deal with it." Ron said firmly from across the table.

"Ron, I'm not going to get any peace if they do make a move until I do something. And besides, they'll want revenge on me."

"You have a point, I guess. You're almost seen as the new Dumbledore, and you killed their master." Ron snorted.

"Ron!" Hermione snapped. "You idiot! We aren't supposed to give the future away!"

Lily and the Marauders were all staring at Harry with their mouths open.

"You got rid of Voldemort?" Lily asked in a hushed voice.

"How old are you?" James demanded.

"I turned eighteen in July." Harry said. "And yes. I did get rid of Voldemort, a few months before my eighteenth birthday."

"Wow..." Sirius said. "You're a bigshot in your time, aren't you?"

"Unfortunately." Harry said.

"That makes you a hero! You must be so famous!" Sirius exclaimed. "Isn't that awesome? Do you get anything you want?"

Harry snapped his head up. "I didn't want to be the hero. I never wanted to be the hero. And yeah..." Harry said bitterly. "I'd get everything I want if I pulled the Harry Potter card. And, it's not awesome. Sucks for Ginny, actually. The paparazzi are always on my tail, trying to get the next big story for the papers. We have no privacy."

"Harry...I don't care what they write about me." Ginny murmured to him.

"Yeah, well...I care. Anyway, let's get off this subject." Harry muttered.

"No." Ginny said, grabbing Harry's chin in her hand and turning his head to face hers. He met her eyes, surprised. "We're not getting off of this subject until you get your head out of your arse. They wouldn't have sent us back to this particular time if they wanted to get rid of us. Harry, they would have sent us back to a worse time, something that would bring back bad memories...something that would make it hard for us to fight when we did return."

"Yeah." Ron piped up. "Like the first time the Chamber of Secrets was opened."

Ginny turned on Ron, but Harry spoke before she could. "Shut it, Ron. Not the picture I need in my head right now."

"The Chamber of Secrets?" Lily asked. "But, that's a legend."

"No." Harry said shortly. "It's not." Then he turned to Ginny.

"I get why Harry's feeling this way." Kacey said softly.

"Same." Sarah piped up. "If his first idea is not valid because of how many of us got sent back..."

"Then the second idea must be it." Kacey finished for her.

"Exactly." Harry said.

"I understand." Ginny said quietly. "But, at least for the next week, let's just forget about why we're here and have fun." She gave him a smile, and he smiled back.

"All right." Harry gave his girlfriend a look. "But only for you."

"Aww..." Jose exclaimed. "And the cheesy couple is back."

"Oh, shut up." Ginny said, smacking Jose's arm.

"Well..." Lily started.

"Harry." Remus said slowly. "Why were you so short with Lily about the Chamber of Secrets?"

"I didn't mean to be." Harry gave Lily an apologetic look. "It's kind of a touchy subject...since...well, I guess it always has been, I just didn't realize why, for me. For Ginny...well, the second time it was opened, in my second year, a reincarnation of sorts of Voldemort took her into the Chamber."

"I thought you said you defeated Voldemort when you were almost eighteen? How could there be a reincarnation of him when you were twelve?" James asked.

"Damn." Harry said. "He was vanquished when I was a baby, and then he came back for real in my fourth year. The reincarnation was merely a memory and I destroyed the source before he could come back completely to life."

"So you saved Ginny from a reincarnation of Voldemort when you were twelve?" Lily asked.

"Not to mention a basilisk." Hermione added absently. "He killed that with Gryffindor's sword."

Harry turned on Hermione. "Aren't you supposed to be the one preaching about how we shouldn't be giving away the future?" Hermione grinned impishly and Harry shook his head disbelievingly. "You're turning more and more into Ginny as the days go by." Hermione and Ginny laughed.

"Harry!" Lily exclaimed, a look of shock on her face."You killed a basilisk with Gryffindor's sword, without looking it in the eye, and then destroyed a reincarnation of Voldemort when you were twelve!?"

"He did that with a basilisk fang that he pulled out of his arm." Hermione said with a grin. Harry let his head fall on the table in defeat.

"But...basilisk venom is poisonous!" Lily cried. "You should be dead!"

"I should have been dead loads of times," Harry said flatly. "Fawkes, Dumbledore's pheonix, saved me. He also blinded the basilisk before the real fight began." Harry said, picking his head up.

"You were TWELVE!" Lily's voice grew into a yell, and people turned to look at the commotion.

"Shh..." Ginny said with a laugh. "He did it alone, too."

"What did your parents say?"

Harry sighed, looked at Ginny and Hermione and then turned back to his mum. "Something pretty similar to what you just did."

Ron snorted. "I'd say the reaction was exactly the same. If you reacted this way now, after you know he's alive and whole, I wonder how you would have reacted when it actually happened."

Everyone at the table turned to face Ron, James and Lily with looks of shock on their faces, and Hermione looked livid. Harry looked around at everyone, glaring at Ron, then stood abruptly and left the pub.

Ginny sighed. "I'll talk to him." She stood and ran after her boyfriend, making sure to slap Ron on the head as she went by.

"Ronald Weasley, you complete prat! You idiot! You come into the past with one rule! ONE RULE! Don't give away the future. And what do you do? You give away the one thing that Harry was actually making a huge effort to keep secret!" Hermione shrieked, taking a book from her bag and hitting him on the shoulder.

"Chill out, Hermione! It's not going to do anything drastic!" Ron snapped back. "Do you think I meant to? The way she said it was so ironic, it just slipped out!"

"Ugh!" Hermione said frustratedly. "Unfortunately, that's not a good thing. How do you think we found out half of the things in our first year to try and save the Sorcerer's Stone?! Because the facts just 'slipped out' of Hagrid's mouth!"

"Both of you, shut up!" Lily screeched. "You're completely bent out of shape about something that you gave away that I'm not even sure I'm clear on so just shut up! By yelling at each other you're only going to give more away!" Lily spoke in a low fierce voice. "And be careful. You almost told the whole pub that you're time travelers. Now, James and I are going to go talk to Harry and Ginny."

"Harry!" Ginny called, following his stalking form all the way to the Shrieking Shack. "Harry, stop! Talk to me!"

Harry stopped at the fence to the Shrieking Shack and Ginny took his hand. "He's an imbecile." Harry growled.

"You'll find no argument here." Ginny said. "And I know you're mad at him, but your parents are already together, and you know James isn't going to let your mum go."

"I know...but...it will seem to get awkward. I mean, these are my parents, and they both know it, and we're the same age..." Harry sighed.

"It's okay. They love you, and quite frankly, I think Lily already had an idea that she was your mother."

"She's right, you know." Harry and Ginny spun around to see Lily and James standing there behind them. "Look at you. You're a spitting image of James except for your eyes. You have my eyes. I noticed that your eyes were green right away. And...when I asked Ginny for advice before I talked to James, I don't think she would have told me to go for it if I didn't ending up marrying him. Ginny wouldn't hurt me that way."

Ginny grinned, but it turned into a smirk. "Who says you got married?"

"Ginny!"Lily exclaimed. When Ginny just gave her a look, she turned to Harry, who was standing there trying to hold in his laughter. "I almost thought you were serious."

"Jeez, Lily." James said. "I've only been trying to get you to go out with me for years. You don't think you're getting away that easy, do you?"

Lily grinned. "I guess not."

"It doesn't change anything, you know." James said. "I've always known I was gonna marry her. She's been my one and only for years."

Lily hit him on the arm. "Alright, James."

"But, on a more serious note." James said. "You think I didn't notice that you have Lily's eyes? I love those eyes. They're gorgeous, and expressive, and...well, I noticed her eyes in my face the first time I saw you."

Harry laughed. "I'm sorry. I guess I overreacted, but I don't really want everyone here knowing about everything I've done in my life. It's over, and the minute Voldemort fell to the ground, it was a new beginning for me. Years I could get through, hopefully without something life threatening happening in the last few months of every school year. But then again, seeing as I'm now in the past, and Voldemort is still alive, I don't know if that's going to work out." He gave an amused smile.

Lily's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean, something life threatening in the last few months of every school year?"

Harry grabbed Ginny's hand and started walking back towards the Three Bromsticks. "I mean exactly what I said, unfortunately." He said over his shoulder.

He heard Lily groan and speak as she and James started walking back. "This is all your fault that we had a troublemaker for a son." James laughed.


	10. Chapter 9: Earrings and Sparkly Things

Chapter 9: Earring Obsessions and Other Sparkly Things

"Alright!" Ginny said with a grin as she and Lily walked back into the Three Broomsticks. "Girls, let's head to the jewelry store! Boys, if I catch you following us, I won't hesitate to hex you." Ginny said, stating the plan. And with that, the girls left the pub.

Jose stood with a flourish. "Alright, boys. We have some errands to run in Muggle London." They all looked at him curiously. "I need something for my girlfriend."

"Ah." Sirius grinned. "Come to think of it, so do I."

"I need to buy something extra special, too." Remus said with a smile.

"Alright, boys." Draco drawled. "Let's head out."

"I know the perfect place to go to." Harry said with a grin.

"Do you need to buy something too?" James asked suspiciously.

"I've already got what you're thinking of." Harry replied.

Ron started choking. "What?" He exclaimed. "What are you thinking of? Are you thinking of what I'm thinking of?"

"I'm thinking that whatever it is," Harry said mysteriously. "You've already got it as well, so I wouldn't talk."

Ron reddened and then paled. "Don't you think she's too young?" He asked in a strained voice.

"I think we're all over age, not to mention we've had to grow up faster than most. And, we've been technically going out longer than you have, seeing as it took you so long to get yourself together after the Final Battle."

Ron gave him a disgruntled look. "Fine. But did you at least talk to Mum and Dad?"

Harry gave him an incredulous look. "After all they've done for me? Of course I did. Your Mum practically suffocated me until your dad was able to pull her off."

"Alright, alright, let's go." Draco said in a bored tone. "We don't need to hear any more of the protective brother speech."

Harry snorted. "You do realize you'll be hearing a speech from a protective sister eventually, right?"

Draco laughed. "You do have a point. But anyway, Harry, how do you know that the perfect place you want to go to is around now?"

"There was a sign on the door that said it's been around since 1950." Harry replied.

"How are we going to avoid the teachers to apparate away?" Jose asked.

Sirius burst into laughter. "Easy!" He exclaimed. "Come on. And walk like you're supposed to be where you are."

Harry and James took the lead out of the pub, heading down onto the side street where Madame Puddifoot's was.

"Just as I figured." Harry commented dryly. "The street's almost empty. I don't understand how guys allow themselves to be dragged to that stupid tea shop."

Ron gave Harry a look. "If I recall correctly, you were dragged there yourself in fifth year."

Sirius snorted from behind him and Harry went red. "I don't like to remember that day," he said hurriedly, "It was just a disaster all around—at least that part."

James grinned at him and the group of boys went down an alley at the end of the road.

"Apparate to the Leaky Cauldron." Harry said. "I'll be glad to be able to go in there and not be gawked at. But, the jewelry store is only a couple of blocks away."

And with that, the boys turned on the spot and Disapparated.

The group of girls made their way down the main street of Hogsmeade and followed Lily down one of the side roads to a small little boutique emblazoned with the sparkling name, Enchantment.

"This is the jewelry store in Hogsmeade." Lily said matter-of-factly.

Ginny giggled. "Fleur overtook this store." She stated and Hermione nodded in agreement. "But then again, she overtook the three stores on either side of this one, too. Only she could get away with buying four stores from different people, joining them all together, and then managing to open another one in Diagon Alley by doing the exact same thing."

The girls laughed. "I'm assuming you know this girl?"

"She's my sister-in-law." Ginny laughed. "And part Veela too, which is probably one of the reasons she was able to get away with what she did."

Lily grinned. "Alright, what should we start with? Necklaces or earrings?"

"Earrings." Sarah and Kacey chimed in together.

Sarah continued. "I need to get earrings first, because otherwise I'll keep looking while waiting for you guys to finish. I'm a sucker for earrings."

Kacey grinned. "Yeah. I practically had to drag her out of Icing last time we went to the Muggle mall near our house. She somehow managed to find the sale rack and get seven things for twenty bucks, and four of them were earrings. That place is expensive, too."

"That was one time!" Sarah protested.

"Oh, please." Kacey replied. "I've had to pull you out of Forever 21, Wet Seal, and Claire's back before we switched to Icing. The jewelry just draws you in and then you can't leave unless someone takes you by force." She finished flatly.

"Well, let's get this done then." Lily said with a grin.

"Ginny...what are you looking at?" Hermione asked curiously.

Ginny spun around, face red, as Hermione walked over and burst out laughing.

"Engagement rings?"

"No...well...yeah," Ginny replied sheepishly.

"Worried?" Kacey teased. But she went over to the glass case and gazed at the rings as well.

"No..." Ginny said softly. "Nervous. I just don't really want to wait much longer. He's the one."

"No worries, Ginny. You're not the only one looking at rings," Sarah smirked, inclining her head towards her sister, who spun around, Weasley red. "But we can daydream later. Let's look for earrings."

"How many have you found so far?" Kacey asked dryly.

"Only two pairs. Ooh, these are really pretty, too."

Kacey rolled her eyes. "You can get two pairs, and that's it."

Sarah pouted. "You can't put a limit on earrings!" she protested.

"When I'm talking to you, I can."

"Alright, I'm hurrying," Hermione laughed. "Ginny, we obviously have to be quick, before Sarah spends fifty dollars on earrings," she said dryly.

"I found some." Ginny said with a grin. "I'm just getting studs."

"I think that's the way I'm going to go, too," Kacey said thoughtfully, picking out a pair of diamond ones that almost matched Ginny's.

"I'm going dangly." Sarah said with a grin.

"I figured," Kacey responded with a roll of her eyes. "That's it. Just the red ones. They're pretty."

"But these are pretty, too! And they're also red." Sarah added hastily.

"Well, I said two. But that's it." Kacey said sternly.

"I like that style," Lily said with a smile, picking out an emerald pair of dangly ones that looked similar to Sarah's. "Yup, I'm getting these."

"I'm going to get these," Hermione said softly, holding up a pair of diamond earrings, "I like the elegance and the fact that they're still so simple."

"Let's get necklaces." Kacey said with a smile. "Sarah's still looking at earrings." She grabbed Sarah's wrist and dragged her to the opposite side of the store, where the necklaces were located. "I already have a necklace to wear, from Jose, but I don't know about the rest of you."

"Harry gave me a beautiful one for my birthday that I'm going to wear." Ginny said.

"I'm not going to wear a necklace." Lily said, browsing anyway. "My dress is halter, so it will look okay without one."

"Ooh..." Sarah said with a smile. "I like this one." She held up a small, silver necklace set with rubies, in a sort of choker style.

"That is pretty." Ginny said with a grin. "Waiting on you, Hermione."

"Oh, be quiet." Hermione said with a laugh. "I found one." She held up a gold choker with a diamond pendant that was just the right size to look good with her dress.

"Gorgeous." Kacey said with a grin. "Let's check out and go." They got in a line to check out, making sure Sarah was last so she couldn't wander to the earrings while waiting for the others to finish.

"Alright." Hermione said with a clap of her hands as they exited the store. "Shall we head back to the castle?"

"Sounds good." Lily grinned. "After all, we'll never know when the boys will get back. They're with James and Sirius," she rolled her eyes.

"And they're with Harry and Ron," Hermione added. "They're half the reason I got in trouble as much as I did in our earlier years at Hogwarts."

The girls laughed, held their bags tight, and headed back up to the school.

"Here it is." Harry said with a grin, opening the door to the shop so the boys could precede him in.

"Wow, Harry." James said with wide eyes. "This place is nice."

"How much is my sister worth?" Ron said in a choked voice.

"This place is much nicer in our time." Draco said with a look around. "The quality and price of everything has gone up. But it's really nice now, as well."

"Once again, how much is my sister worth?" Ron asked with wide eyes as he looked in the nearest case. "This stuff is expensive!"

"Your sister's worth everything." Harry said simply, with a shrug.

"I don't know how you're managing to propose so soon and so young. With Sirius as your godfather, it's astonishing that he didn't whisper hints to you while you were napping about getting all the ladies you can." Ron said dryly.

"Ron!" Harry snapped.

"I'm-what?" Sirius asked, turning around.

"You're my godfather," Harry said resignedly.

"Wow," Sirius said with wide eyes and a strange look on his face. "James must have gone mad when he named me godfather."

Remus chuckled. "Obviously. Although I don't know how you can think that you weren't named godfather." Remus rolled his eyes.

James turned and grinned at Remus and Sirius. "No worries. If Lils and I have a girl, you can be her godfather, Remus. You're more sensible; I would never name Sirius my _daughters_ godfather."

"Hey!" Sirius said indignantly.

The group laughed, albeit Harry's laughter was a bit strained.

"I'm going to find a ring." Sirius said indignantly, stomping away, leaving the boys in stitches.

"Reminds me of Lily back when you were still fighting." Remus said dryly.

"I heard that!" Sirius called from the other side of the shop, annoyed. "And I don't appreciate being compared to a girl!"

Remus rolled his eyes at his friends and headed to look at the cases as well. Jose followed him, moving further down as he looked.

Sirius was first, coming back to the group with a small box in his hand. "Well, I found something," he stated with a smile.

"Nice, mate," James said, clapping his friend on the back.

Jose finished soon after, holding an identical box. "I found the perfect one," He said with a grin.

Remus called James over a few minutes later, and they had a whispered discussion by one of the cases before Remus finally decided and checked out.

"Alright," Harry said with a grin at all of the boys. "Are we ready to go?"

"Yup." Ron said, nodding at him.

The boys turned and walked out, heading back to the Leaky Cauldron, then apparating to Hogsmeade and heading back up to the school, where Ron pulled Harry aside one last time.

"Look, Harry, I know you've told me this already, but I just want to be sure," Ron muttered, his ears red. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, Ron," Harry said softly, a bit of a sympathetic look on his face. "I love her, more than anything. She's my one and only. If you need proof, just look at how I look at her, and the things I did for her. I died for her." Harry finished in a firm voice and Ron nodded, opening his mouth, but he was interrupted.

"You died?"

Harry spun around to see James standing there, his face pale and his eyes wide. "Did you just say...you died for Ginny? Then how are you here? Blimey..." James trailed off, running a hand through his hair. "You have the most complicated life. Lily and I must be so paranoid."

Harry let out a strained laugh. "Yes...I died for Ginny. It was a unique piece of magic that allowed me to survive. I can't disclose the details to you, it would give away too much."

James nodded, his face still pale. "God, I wish you could just tell me everything. Then we wouldn't be so shocked when each new piece of information slips out."

Harry laughed again. "I agree."


	11. Chapter 10: A Parents Concern

Chapter 10: A Parents Concern

It was the middle of the week and Lily was sitting alone in the Head Common Room. The others had gone to bed, but neither she nor James could sleep. James was in his room for the moment, but she was planning on talking with him when he came out.

"Hey, you," he said from behind her, and she could tell he had a smile on his face.

"Hey, James," Lily replied as he came around the couch and sat next to her.

He kissed her on the cheek and threw an arm around her shoulders. "What's on your mind?"

"Harry and Ginny," she answered simply.

"Harry I can understand," James replied softly, "but why Ginny?"

"It's just strange...well, not strange, but there are so many things I'm not sure of, so many things I still have to figure out, but with them, there's always one constant-each other."

"What are you guys talking about?" Ginny's voice came from the end of the couch. Her hair was in a messed up bun and she was wearing shorts and a tank top.

"You and Harry, actually." Lily said softly.

Ginny smiled, sitting down in the armchair across from them. "He's amazing, isn't he?"

"More than amazing." Lily responded with a smile in return.

"More like a miracle."

"A miracle..." Ginny pondered James' statement. "That's a good way to describe him."

"How much has he gone through?" Lily asked suddenly, after a short silence. "He always looks so old, so beyond his years. I'm a little worried."

"Me too," James agreed. "Today he was talking to Ron about you, and he mentioned that he died for you."

"What?" Lily gasped. "How is that possible?"

"Miracle." Ginny said with a wry grin. "He did. It took a rare piece of magic to make it possible, but it happened."

"That's what Harry said when I asked him," James agreed.

"To answer your first question, Harry has been through a lot. He's been through more hardships than anyone I know, but he's-somehow-come out whole at the end. My family has helped with that a lot."

"It sounds like you've helped with that a lot," James stated.

"Your family?" Lily asked, her face pale. "What about us? Where are we?"

Ginny's face went pale, and she stuttered, trying to think of an explanation for her words. "You-you...were away."

"We're dead, aren't we?" James asked in a whisper. "We died when he was young. He looked like he had seen a ghost when he first saw us. And...well, he doesn't seem to know anything about us, and anything he does know, seems to have come from someone else."

Lily and James both stared at Ginny, searching her face for an answer. They seemed to find it fairly quickly-Ginny was having a hard time masking her emotions.

"Where did he go?" Lily asked desperately. "How long were we even around?"

Ginny opened her mouth to tell them she couldn't say anything more, when they heard a sudden yell.

"GINNY!"

Not hesitating, Ginny raced down the hall and burst into James' room, rushing to Harry's side. He was tossing and turning, the sheets bunched around him.

"NOOO!"

"HARRY!" Ginny yelled and his eyes shot open, meeting hers immediately. "I'm right here, Harry, I'm alright."

Ginny heard Lily and James gasp behind her, but she ignored them. "Ron, go get him some water or something."

"Gin...Come here," Harry murmured hoarsely, and she pulled him up and wrapped her arms around him. He buried his face in her hair and breathed in deeply. "You're mine," he whispered.

"All yours," Ginny replied in an equally low voice. "And I'm perfectly fine. Which one was it?"

"Bellatrix," his voice came out rough, "I've said it once, I'll say it again," Harry pulled slightly away so he could look her in the eyes. "If she got you, she would have been sorry. It would have been the last thing she'd done."

"Harry...are you alright?" Lily's voice came from behind Ginny.

"Yeah," Harry pulled Ginny to him and looked over her head at his parents. "I'm alright. I'm sorry if I woke you...the nightmares aren't so common anymore, I don't know why I had one tonight."

"Probably because of seeing us so much lately," James said softly.

Harry gave him a sharp look. "What are you talking about?" When Ron handed him a glass of water he gulped it down and gave James a questioning look.

"Well...we're dead, aren't we? In the future?"

Harry looked at Ron immediately, "What do I have to do to get you to keep your mouth shut?" He snapped.

"Harry," Ginny said softly. "It wasn't him. I didn't mean to tell them...I kind of...said something, and they figured it out."

"Like Remus did." Harry sighed. "Then, yes. You aren't around in the future."

"How old were you?" Lily asked.

Harry met her eyes, and she noticed how haunted they looked in that moment. "You don't need to know that," he said firmly.

"I want to know," James said resolutely.

"Well, I'm not going to tell you," Harry replied with his eyes narrowed, "and neither are any of them." Harry gave a pointed look to all of his fellow time-travelers, who nodded. "That means you too, Ron. I don't want them to know when or how."

"Okay," Kacey said simply. "We won't say anything," she looked around at them all again and gave a more pointed look to Ron.

"Why does everyone always look at me?" Ron said, with a disgruntled look at Hermione.

"Because you're usually the one to give important things away," she said with a sigh, "and even you can't deny that."

"Is there some potion we could give him that keeps his mouth shut about anything crucial to the future?" Sarah asked amusedly.

"Not that I know of," Draco answered from behind her, "And I used to be one of the best Potions students around."

"Lils is pretty good at Potions, too. I don't really like the reason for you asking," James said, "but Lily, can you think of anything?"

"No," Lily shook her head. "If anyone would know, Severus would."

"I'm not taking anything from anyone," Ron said firmly. "No stupid potions. I won't say anything. No one needs to know how badly Harry's childhood was under the Dursley-!"

"Shut up, Ron!" Harry snapped, jumping to his feet, "Just shut up! I don't think you understand how important it is to keep the secrets of the future!"

"Alright, stop. Both of you be quiet. Harry, half of the time he barely knows what he's doing, so lay off a little, and Ron, think before you speak, please. You could give something crucial away and cause the future to be changed-which could potentially cancel our existence."

"Ron...did you just say Dursley?" Lily asked hesitantly.

Ron looked startled. "I have no idea what you're talking about," he said, his voice an octave higher than usual.

"You did...you said Harry's life was horrible with the Dursleys. But...Petunia is dating a Vernon Dursley and my mother wrote me and said she thought they would end up married..." Lily went silent for a moment, and then looked up, horrified. "Harry, did you stay with Petunia after we died?"

Harry stared at her for a moment, and then nodded resignedly. "Yes, I did."

"And they...treated you badly?" Lily asked, a hurt note creeping into her voice.

Harry stared at each person in the room and then looked at the floor. "Yes...they treated me badly."

Lily's cheeks slowly grew redder. "Tell me you're joking. Tell me my sister didn't treat you horribly. God dammit, you're serious! They treated you terribly, didn't they?"

Harry clenched his fists on his knees, so the words 'I must not tell lies' shone white on the back of his hand. "I may not want you to know the truth on some things, but I'm not going to lie to you."

"Harry, Ginny, Sarah and Kacey, I want to talk with you and Lily," James said quietly.

The group left the room, going into the Common area and sitting down.

"What are we here for?" Sarah asked hesitantly.

James looked at she and Kacey. "I want to know some things and I need you two to be mediators. The way I see it, you weren't around when any of this actually happened, so you're neutral."

"I have some questions as well," Lily said softly. "How about we start with an easy one. What was your nightmare about?"

Harry winced. "You call that easy?" Then he sighed. "During the Final Battle, Bellatrix Lestrange almost hit Ginny with a Killing Curse. It missed-obviously, but in my dreams, I see it hit her...and thats one of my worst nightmares."

"What are some of your other nightmares?" James asked curiously.

"I see what happened when you died. And...I guess it wouldn't hurt to tell you that Sirius is dead in the future as well. I saw that happen, and it's another of my nightmares. Also...in the future...Dumbledore was killed. I saw that happen...and because of a freezing spell by Dumbledore, I wasn't able to do anything to stop it. That haunts me, even after I learned it was planned. And then...in my fourth year, the Triwizard Tournament was held at Hogwarts. I was a champion, but at the end, the cup was a Portkey and took me and Cedric, another champion, to a graveyard in Little Hangleton. I had suggested to take the Portkey together...and Cedric was killed. I was brought there so Voldemort could kill me after he rose again and I managed to get away." he laughed dryly, "with your help, actually."

"You faced Voldemort at fourteen?" James asked incredulously.

"He faced a form of him at eleven as well." Ginny said, "Not to mention saving me in the Chamber of Secrets."

James and Lily sat in silence for a moment and then Lily spoke again. "I want to know what happened when you were staying with Petunia."

Harry stared at Lily with a pained look on his face. "I don't want to tell you that."

"It doesn't have any way of changing the future," Sarah said gently.

"She's right," Kacey added. "Nothing in that story can be used to change anything."

"Alright," Harry said. "They made me cook for them. I made breakfast on multiple occasions. Dudley, Aunt Petunia's son, used to beat me up-we're on better terms now, since I saved his life...or soul..or whatever. Basically, they tried to squeeze the magic out of me. I didn't even know I was a wizard until my letter came."

James nodded solemnly and Lily gasped. "That means...that means we died when you were really young. There's no way we would have kept something like that from you!" she exclaimed. "How old were you?!"

"Young," Harry replied, jutting his chin out, stubbornly refusing to tell them his exact age.

"Are Remus and Peter still alive?" James asked curiously, almost as if he didn't want to know the answer.

Harry hesitated, and then shook his head. "No, you're all dead."

"What about Severus?" Lily asked timidly. James whipped his head around to look at her but said nothing as she stared at Harry.

"Dead as well," Harry said quietly.

"What about Frank and Alice?" Lily asked, timid again. At this, James' head swivelled back to Harry.

Harry stared at the couple in front of him, and thought of Neville. "They...are in St. Mungo's permanently."

"Why?" Lily asked, shocked.

Harry narrowed his eyes at the ground. "Bellatrix Lestrange tortured them into insanity," he said bitterly.

"I hope Sirius took her with him when he died," James snarled.

Lily was the only one who noticed Harry's wince.

"Did she get away?" She asked astonishedly, misinterpreting his reaction.

"She's dead," Harry said harshly in reply. "Ginny's Mum took care of her, and if she hadn't...I would've."

"Because of when she almost hit Ginny with the Killing Curse?" Lily asked.

"That," Harry conceded, "and more."

"You are good friends with Frank and Alice's son," Sarah said quietly, trying to prevent them from figuring out what happened to Sirius.

"Not to mention she killed Sirius," Kacey said with a growl.

"WHAT?" James exclaimed. "That BITCH! She did not kill Sirius!"

Harry turned to glare at Kacey. "I was trying to avoid that coming out," he said angrily. He turned back to James. "Dad...look at me...this doesn't mean you go after Bellatrix more fiercely...let things play out the way they do."

"So how do Remus and Peter die?" James asked.

"Remus died during the Final Battle," Ginny said quietly, "and Peter died fulfilling a life debt to Harry."

It was lucky James and Lily were looking at Ginny at the moment, otherwise they would have seen the dark look that crossed Harry's face at the mention of Peter.

"Made it sound really noble, didn't you?" Harry muttered under his breath.

"Harry..." Ginny said warningly.

"Sorry," he murmured in reply.

James narrowed his eyes. "What did you just say?"

"Nothing." Harry replied shortly.

"Are you still staying with my sister?" Lily asked hastily, sensing the tension.

"No." Harry said. "I left on my seventeenth birthday and the last time I saw them was when I went to tell them it was over...at least Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon. Dudley and I go out for a drink occasionally. I entertain him with stories of my years at Hogwarts."

"How are your parents, Ginny?" Lily asked, looking at her with a smile.

"Alive." Ginny replied. "My whole family except for one of my brothers, made it through."

"What about you, Kacey and Sarah? How did you make it through the war?"

"We made it through with our whole family. Mum and Dad moved us to France during the war. They go to school here now, I think. Joe Coelho and Kathy Montani."

"Oh, yeah..." Lily smiled. "They're very nice, they're a sweet couple."

Sarah and Kacey grinned. "I bet they're even more sickening now than they are in the present," Kacey said with a wrinkled nose.

Sarah laughed, "You know you absolutely adore the fact that our parents are still so in love. She's a romantic to the core," Sarah added to Lily and James. "And she loves babies." she mused. "When she and Jose get married, they're going to have twenty kids running around their house," the group laughed and Kacey blushed.

"Not that many!" she protested, then giggled, "Though I do love children," the group laughed again.

"We should probably go to bed, now," Lily said suddenly. "We have class tomorrow."

Everyone nodded and headed back to their rooms.


	12. Chapter 11: The Dance

Chapter 11: The Dance

The rest of the week passed fairly quickly, and before long it was the day of the dance. Lily claimed the Head Dorm for the girls, so the boys had their stuff out of there in the morning.

"Why do we have to leave so early?" James asked, annoyed.

"Because!" Lily said as though shocked he had to ask. "Do you know how many of us have to get ready? Do you know how long that's going to take?" James stared at her and Lily pushed him towards the door. "That's what I thought! Now go! We'll meet you all in the Entrance Hall at quarter to seven."

When the boys were gone, the Head Dorm was essentially transformed into a Beauty Parlor. Lily conjured a large floor to ceiling three way mirror in her bedroom, where the girls would change into yoga pants and tanks after their showers, and into their dresses later on. She conjured a hanging rack in her room as well, to hold all of the dresses. In the Common Room, there was an area for nails, hair, and makeup, with each girl pairing off to do each others.

A half an hour after Lily had transformed the Dorm, Katie, Celeste, and Jamie—the dates of the other three Marauders—joined Lily and the time travelers in her room.

Lily clapped her hands. "Okay. We'll split into girls that will do their nails before their shower, and girls that will do it after. You can use my room one at a time to change, that way the bathroom will only be used for showers, to keep it available as much as possible." With that, the girls got started. It was a little slow at first, but once every girl was showered, it was lunch time, so Lily had sandwiches brought up by the House Elves. Hermione and Kacey gave Lily a look, but said nothing and ate the sandwiches anyway. The hours after lunch were filled with mini crises and reassurances, nervous girls, and lots of getting ready. The hours were well-used, as it was half past six when the last girl exited Lily's room fully dressed and ready to go. Looking around, there was no doubt in anyone's mind, except maybe the girl in question, that when their dates saw them, they wouldn't be able to speak.

Kacey, who of course was going with Jose, was wearing a ballroom style dress, midnight blue in color, that brushed the floor. The corset of the dress was sequined extravagantly in silver, and the poofy skirt was sparkling in the light thanks to the veil-like material that covered it. Her silver flats were barely visible under the large skirt of the dress and her hair was curled and rested beautifully on her shoulders. Around her neck she wore a dark blue cord choker with a peace sign charm, which she had recieved from Jose. She had diamond studs in her ears and a diamond tennis bracelet on her wrist.

Sarah, accompanying Draco, wore a red, floor-length halter top dress. It had a matching sash, which gave the dress an empire waist, and from there, a flowing skirt that was embroidered in a silver design at the hem, which touched the ground. She was wearing silver high heels, and when I say high—I mean high—and her hair was in a simple updo, though a few curls were left to hang and frame her face. She had silver dangly earrings set with rubies, and a simple ruby choker necklace, also silver.

Hermione almost looked like a bride in a beautiful white gown, ballroom style like Kacey's. It was spaghetti strapped with a gold sash that tied in a graceful bow at her back. The large skirt was embroidered in gold, beginning simply about halfway down, and getting more complex as her skirt hit the floor. She wore red heels, offsetting the bride-like color of the dress and her hair was also in an updo, much like she wore it at the Yule Ball, with curls framing her face. Ron would be happy that she was going with him looking like that this time. A simple diamond choker necklace rested around her neck and simple diamond earrings sat in her ears, both gold.

Ginny, who had been nervous about what color would look good with her hair, sparkled in a silver ballroom gown. Strapless, it had a silver sash tied at her waist, and below that, the veil material that covered the skirt sparkled in the dim light. She wore silver high heels, which barely showed under her dress and were definitely not as high as Sarah's, and her hair was down, and curled, framing her face like Kacey's. She had diamond studs in her ears and a diamond journey necklace in silver, which she had recieved from Harry on her brithday.

Lily, who was also worried that her dress would clash with her hair, wore a dark green dress that set off her eyes beautifully. The top was a halter top, and the green sash gave it an empire waist. Below the sash, the skirt flowed down with gold embroidery on the bottom. She wore gold heels and her hair was in a half-updo, the bottom half resting in curls against her neck. She wore emerald dangly earrings and an emerald tennis style necklace, both in gold. She had recieved the necklace from James that morning.

Celeste had dressed sexy for Sirius in a red, slinky, floor-length dress that flared out after molding to her curvy hips. It was strapless with a tight corset top and a skirt that darkened to bloodred by the time it hit the floor. She wore black stiletto's, the only one with heels higher than Sarah's, and had left her hair down around her face in messy waves. She wore ruby studs and a ruby pendent on metal of black stained silver.

Katie, going with Remus, opted for a baby-blue, floor length dress with a flowing skirt and spaghetti straps. It's silver sash gave it an empire waist and the skirt was covered in silver sequins of which the number increased as you looked closer to the bottom. Her shoes were silver heels, the lowest of the group and her dark hair was pulled back in an intricate braided style. Aquamarine teardrop earrings were set in her ears and a simple silver heart necklace studded with aquamarine rested around her neck.

Jamie, who was shyly accompanying Peter, wore a gold, empire waisted dress that dropped to the floor. With a square neck, it had cap sleeves and a ballroom style skirt that drowned in silver sparkles. On her feet were gold flats, and her hair was pulled into a sleek ponytail, accentuated by curls. She wore moderately-sized gold hoops with silver sparkles and a plain gold heart necklace.

James looked at his watch as he stood with the group of boys in the Entrance Hall. They were dressed in black suits, with the exception of Ron, who wore white, and their ties matched the color of their dates dresses to the exact shade.

"They should be here soon," Ron said, wringing his hands.

Harry grinned at him. "Feels weird, doesn't it, mate? It wasn't that long ago that we were standing in this exact spot, waiting for the exact same girls, but in a different time period."

Ron rolled his eyes. "Tell me about it. Aren't you nervous, though?"

"I'm more nervous about what she's going to say when I ask." Harry said shortly, knowing he didn't need to explain what he meant.

Ron laughed outright. "Chill, mate. She loves you, of course she'll say yes."

"Are you telling me you're not going to be even more nervous when you ask Hermione?"

Ron paled and opened his mouth to retort, but was cut off when James spoke.

"Wow."

It was all he said, but the awe in his voice caused each boy to whip their heads around and look to the stairs. The girls were making their way down them, walking in two lines. As they reached the bottom of the stairs, each girl joined their date. Lily and Ginny reached the bottom of the stairs first.

"Gin..." Harry said softly, his eyes looking her up and down until they met hers. "You look amazing." Ginny blushed lightly and grinned, leaning forward to kiss him. He held out his arm, "Ready to go in?"

"Of course," Ginny said with a smile. "You look quite dashing yourself."

Lily walked over to James, her cheeks pink as he stared at her. "You look gorgeous," he said, reaching out and taking her hand, then leaning down to press a gentle kiss to it. "Your dress brings out your eyes beautifully."

"Thank you," Lily said softly, "You look nice as well."

"I try," James responded with a grin.

Sarah and Kacey reached the bottom of the staircase next. Sarah bounced forward with a grin on her face and took the hand Draco offered her.

"Hello," she said, as he leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek.

"You look beautiful," he said in a low voice as he pulled away, catching her lips on the way.

She smiled into the kiss and when he pulled away, replied with, "Thank you. You don't look too bad, yourself. You look good in black."

Draco raised an eyebrow and smiled slightly, hooking an arm around her waist and leading her into the hall.

Kacey walked gracefully over to where Jose was standing, his mouth open and his eyes wide in awe. With a grin, she reached out and pushed his mouth closed with her index finger. "You're catching flies," she said with a short laugh. Jose leaned forward and met her lips with his in a kiss. When he pulled away, Kacey blinked. "Wow."

"You are...breathtaking," Jose whispered in her ear, and she smiled as he pulled back, taking her hand.

Hermione and Katie were the next pair at the bottom. Katie reached Remus with a shy smile, which he returned happily.

"You look stunning," he said in a regal voice, holding out his hand. He may have been the sensible Marauder, and the smartest all-around Marauder, but he was still a Marauder.

Katie giggled and took his hand. "And you look quite handsome," she replied, leaning up to kiss his cheek.

Hermione walked over to Ron, managing to keep steady in her heels. When she got to him, she leaned up and kissed his cheek, smiling at the enamoured look on his face.

"You look...magnificent," Ron said in a hoarse voice. "I almost stopped breathing when you came down the stairs."

"Almost?" Hermione asked, amused. "You were pale as a ghost."

"Okay," Ron said grudgingly. "Maybe I did stop breathing for a moment." He held out his arm and Hermione took it; they headed into the hall.

Celeste and Jamie were last down the stairs. Jamie walked slowly over to Peter, who's cheeks were red as he stared at her. "You look...very nice," Peter stumbled slightly over his words.

Jamie smiled back at him. "Thank you," she said shyly. She held out her hand. "Shall we?"

"Yes," Peter replied, clearing his throat and taking her hand quickly, leading her into the hall.

Celeste sauntered over to Sirius, who raised an eyebrow admiringly as she reached him. Leaning up, she pressed her lips to his, and when he was about to deepen the kiss, pulled away teasingly. "Not so fast," she said with a smirk. She stepped away and did a slow twirl for him.

Sirius let out a low whistle as he scanned her body up and down. "You look very sexy," he growled in a low voice, grabbing her hand and pulling her to him.

She raised an eyebrow and smiled seductively. "I try," she smirked. "You look pretty striking yourself, in all black."

Sirius raised an eyebrow in reply. "I know," he said in a cocky voice. "Shall we join the others for dinner?"

"But of course," Celeste replied in a smoky voice, taking Sirius' arm. "Make sure you save room for dessert."

Sirius smirked as he led her into the Great Hall. "I like you." He said in her ear.

He and Celeste made their way to their table, which consisted of the rest of the Marauders and their dates, and the time travelers. There were two empty seats in between Kacey and Sarah.

"Who else is sitting with us?" Katie asked curiously.

Kacey leaned over and looked at the name tags, then went slightly pale. "Our parents," she said quietly.

Sarah went pale as well and gripped Draco's hand. "What should we say?" she asked, eyes wide.

"Try and act as normal as possible," Hermione said promptly. "It's a bit different. The only thing that's crucial to hide from them is the fact that you're their daughters."

Harry snorted. "Considering how long all of our important secrets lasted, I'm not quite sure that fact is going to stay secret for long."

"One thing does have to stay secret," Sarah said firmly. "Don't say a word about what happened to John. Don't even mention it if they find out we're their daughters."

"Exactly." Kacey agreed, taking a breath. "Ron, you have keep your mouth shut on this."

They all looked up as the last couple approached the table and took their seats.

Kacey and Sarah stared at them until Draco and Jose nudged them about the fact that they were being a bit too obvious.

Their mother smiled at them all and their father gave a brief smile as well, seeming to consider something. "I know about half of you," she said. "How can one not know the Marauders? But, I don't believe we've met," she added to the time travelers. "I'm Kathy Montani, and this is Joe Coelho."

The time travelers went around the table and introduced themselves, cautious to only say their first names.

"It's very nice to meet you," Kacey said with a smile.

Ginny gave her a look across the table, insinuating that she obviously already knew them, even though they were twenty years older. Sarah held back a giggle.

"When are we going to get to eat?" Ron groaned, looking at the Head table. "Doesn't Dumbledore realize how hungry we are?"

"Ronald!" Hermione snapped, hitting him on the arm. "We have to wait for everyone to be seated. Not to mention, dinner is served promptly at seven fifteen. We still have five minutes. For goodness sakes, you were there when Lily planned this whole thing! She gave everyone fifteen minutes to get settled in before Dumbledore would stand and make his speech!"

Ron groaned. "Of course, we have to wait for his speech first...can't he make it after we eat?"

"Ron, just give it a rest!" Hermione snapped, raising an eyebrow at him.

"I'd do what she says, mate," Harry said with a grin. "A few more minutes isn't going to hurt."

"For Ron it will." Ginny said wryly.

"See?" Ron said indignantly. "Ginny knows what she's talking about! She's my sister after all."

Ginny rolled her eyes at Harry. "He's dim." she said matter-of-factly. "Hermione, I don't know how you stand him."

Hermione grinned. "Somehow...we just click."

"How long have you all been together?" Kathy asked the time traveling couples around the table.

"I've been with Jose for a year and a half," Kacey said, giving him a smile.

"I've only been with Draco for a few months," Sarah said as he leaned over and kissed her cheek.

"I've been with this dunderhead for about six months," Hermione said with a roll of her eyes. "Merlin help me, I barely understand how I fell in love with him."

"I love you too, 'Mione," Ron said with a grin.

Ginny rolled her eyes at her brother. "Harry and I were together for a few weeks a year and a half ago, and we've been together for the last six months."

"What happened to the year in between?" Kathy asked with a puzzled smile.

Ginny looked sideways at Harry. "He had something he had to do...and felt it wasn't a place for me." she said, considering her words carefully. As it was, Harry looked a little indignant at her wording, but she squeezed his hand and he accepted it. "How long have you and Joe been together?"

"Two years," Kathy said with a loving smile at her boyfriend.

"Two wonderful years," Joe added. It was the first thing he'd said and the girls at the table smiled softly.

The hall went silent as Professor Dumbledore got to his feet. "Welcome, students, to our Christmas celebration. I'm delighted to thank our Head students for putting together this lovely occasion for us. They, along with our prefects, have worked hard to decorate for and plan this dance. So, a Happy Christmas to all of you, and I hope you have an amazing night, dancing under the starry ceiling of our Great Hall. But before we get to that, let's eat." And he took a seat, picked up his menu, said what he wanted to his plate, and it appeared.

The Hall was immediately filled with voices announcing their meals to their plates, and the low pops of the meals appearing. Hermione and Kacey were a little disgruntled over the work the House Elves had to do, but Lily gave them a look, and made clear that the House Elves had insisted...and though she had tried to stop them, they didn't let her, so they used the menus.

They made small talk throughout dinner, discussing the war until Lily made them change the subject, and then they talked about pranks that Fred and George played over the years.

"Oh!" Ginny said with a grin. "At our old boarding school, there was one year that we had this horrible Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher that, through a series of unfortunate events, ended up as Headmistress. So my brothers decided to give her hell with their new products for a joke shop they were planning on opening. They had these crazy fireworks that were shaped like fire animals and sparking frisbees that flew around the school. If you tried to Vanish or Stun them, they multiplied or got bigger in size. The professor was running around all week getting rid of them, and the other teachers, who probably could have gotten rid of them easily, called on her to get them. They always claimed they weren't sure they had the authority to, because of all of the rules and restrictions that the professor made. Restrictions including banning Harry and the twins from playing Quidditch after they beat someone up. He deserved it, at the time," Ginny said, not looking at Draco, who's cheeks went a little red. Sarah grinned at him and squeezed his hand as Ginny went on. "Then, their biggest stunt of all, one day, they somehow created a swamp in the Entrance Hall. A whole swamp." The Marauders were dying at this point, and the girls and Joe were astonished. "But they got caught. So they were standing in the middle of the Entrance Hall and the professor was screaming at them, saying she was going to expell them, when suddenly they said they decided they were going to leave. They summoned their brooms and then just flew away." When Ginny finished, the table was in silence.

"They are my heroes." James said solemnly.

"I'm sure you would be theirs." Ginny said with a smirk.

"So they just...summoned their brooms and flew away?" Kathy asked, shocked.

Ginny grinned and nodded. "They did."

"What about the swamp?" Lily asked, aghast.

Ginny giggled. "It stayed, because she couldn't get rid of it. When she left, one of the other professors waved her wand and got rid of it in seconds, but they left a small section roped off in tribute." she finished with a grin.

Ginny and the Marauders swapped prank stories for a few more minutes, before Professor Dumbledore got to his feet. "I hope everyone enjoyed their meal. Now, it is time to begin the entertainment. Our Head Boy and Girl managed to get The Pheonix Feathers to play for us tonight, and so, for all their hard work, they are going to start us off dancing."

The band struck a note and James got to his feet, holding a hand out for Lily, who took it and followed him to the middle of the dance floor. When the music started up he led her around the floor without hesitation, twirling and dipping when appropriate.

"You're a good dancer," Lily said, sort of surprised.

"Blame my parents," James murmured. "They made me take lessons since I was five and I've gone to Ministry Balls since I was eight."

"Blame?" Lily asked, amused. "I'm glad you can dance. You won't be stepping on my toes."

James grinned at her and pulled her close as they twirled around the floor.

A moment later, other couples began joining them in dancing. Harry and Ginny were among them.

"Having fun?" Harry asked softly, grinning as he spun Ginny around and dipped her almost effortlessly.

Ginny giggled as the song slowed, and leaned her head against his chest. "Yes. I always have fun when I'm with you," she said as he kissed the top of her head. "You've gotten better at dancing," she said, grinning as she remembered the time in her fifth year when he'd twirled her in front of the lake and she almost fell in.

Harry laughed and Ginny lifted her head so she was looking at him. "Though that was funny, and embarrassing, I decided to practice a little so I could dance with you tonight without hurting you." With a grin, he continued, "I actually learned a bit before the dance that brought us here, but we never actually got a chance to dance that night, did we?"

Ginny smiled. "No, we did not."


	13. Chapter 12: Half of My Heart

Chapter 12: Half of My Heart

When a faster song came on, Harry led Ginny off the dance floor and kissed her softly. "Would you like to go for a walk?" he whispered in her ear, his breath making her shiver.

"Sure," she said with a smile, taking his hand as he led her outside. "It's beautiful," she said softly.

Harry looked at her out of the corner of his eye. "Not as beautiful as you," he said simply, watching the blush rise up her cheeks. "I thought you were the one that set it up? Of course it looks beautiful."

"I did help set it up, " Ginny said with a smile, swinging their hands, "but, I hadn't seen it at night with the fairy lights reflecting off the ice and now that I do, it looks much better than I thought it would."

They walked a little farther, deeper into the maze of ice sculptures and fairy lights, when suddenly Harry pulled her into a small alcove in the path, and kissed her. "I love you." he murmured against her lips.

Ginny smiled giddily when he pulled away. "I love you, too," she said softly.

"I want to ask you something." Harry said, and then held up his hand when she opened her mouth to say something. "Just hear me out, okay?" she nodded, and he continued. "I love you. More than anything. You're the reason I came back seven months ago, you're the reason I'm alive. I know this sounds corny, but you are the other half of my heart, and I know I can't live without you." Ginny's face grew pale as he continued. "I know that technically we've only been together for six months, but it feels like we've been together our whole lives. Being away from you last year was complete torture and I never want to go through that again." Harry took a deep breath, and, grasping one of Ginny's hands in his, he got down on one knee, and pulled a small black box out of his pocket. "Ginevra Molly Weasley, will you make me the happiest man on earth and marry me?" He flipped open the box to reveal a gold ring with a small diamond on it, flanked by two small rubies.

Ginny, tears running down her cheeks, fell to her knees in front of him and nodded, a large smile on her face. "Yes, Harry, I'll marry you." She held out her hand and he had barely slipped the ring on her finger when she practically lunged forward and kissed him. He landed on his back in the grass, her on top of him.

When she finally pulled away, she beamed at him, looking into his eyes. "I love you so much."

"I love you, too," Harry said hoarsely, kissing her again. "Surprised?"

Ginny smiled and nodded. "I knew it was going to happen some day, because we've talked about it, but I didn't expect it to be tonight."

"Well, good," Harry said with a grin. "I'm glad I caught you off guard."

"Hermione's going to be jealous," Ginny smiled, getting to her feet and helping Harry up. They both brushed off their robes and sat at the bench in the alcove they had claimed.

"Oh, I don't think she'll be jealous for long," Harry said with a smirk.

Ginny's eyes widened. "Are you saying what I think you're saying?"

Harry's eyes sparkled. "I don't know. What do you think I'm saying?"

"Is my dimwit of a brother finally going to get his head out of his arse and stop with this on-off relationship? Is he going to ask her?"

Harry put a puzzled look on his face. "Ask her what?"

"Harry!" Ginny squealed. "He is, isn't he?" She slid onto his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"I think he is," Harry said with a smile.

She grinned dreamily and looked down at her ring. "I love it," she said softly. "I love you."

"I love you, too," Harry said, kissing her lightly.

"You know you've just made me the happiest girl in the world, right?"

Harry grinned. "Now I do. I'm glad you're happy."

"Are you happy?"

"I am...unbelievably happy." Harry said, thinking over his answer. "I never thought I could be as happy as I am now."

Ginny smiled. "You sure know how to make a girl feel special."

"You are special. You're my special girl," Harry said, leaning forward and kissing her.

"Please, do that on your own time."

"James!"

Harry and Ginny pulled away from each other, Ginny almost falling out of Harry's lap. Ginny raised an eyebrow. "I believe you've interrupted _our_ time," she said with a smirk.

"She's sort of right," Lily sang. "We came out here to walk, not to disturb Harry and Ginny."

"But I like disturbing," James whined.

Lily rolled her eyes. "I'm very sorry about him," she said with a smirk.

"No worries," Ginny said, her eyes shining. "It's right anyway." She jumped to her feet and grabbed Harry's hand, pulling him up as well. "Guess what?"

"What?" Lily asked, a puzzled look on her face.

Ginny held out her hand. "We're engaged," she said with brilliant smile.

Lily squealed and threw her arms around Harry and Ginny. "I'm so excited!" she exclaimed.

James grinned and shook his head at his girlfriend. "I'm proud of you, son," he said to Harry, who grinned as his mother pulled slightly away. "Congratulations."

"Thanks," Harry grinned. "We're probably going to head back to the Dorm now."

"We'll walk with you," Lily said, taking James' hand as they started walking back to the school.

"It's sort of weird, don't you think?" James asked.

"What's weird?" Ginny asked with a grin, refusing to let anything bring her off of Cloud Nine.

"The fact that you just got engaged and we're not even married," James said with a smirk.

"Don't get any ideas, Mister," Lily said sternly. "I'm not ready for that yet."

"Who said I was getting ideas?" James asked innocently.

Lily snorted. "That's all you do, is get ideas about everything. One of these days, they're going to get you into real trouble."

"Real trouble?" James asked with a grin. "That's already happened multiple times."

Lily rolled her eyes as they reached the portrait. "And I just know you're completely proud of it. Love," she said the password, and the portrait swung open.

"Hey, it's the Potter's with their red-headed ladies," Sirius called with a grin.

"And this red-head comes with news," Ginny replied, wiggling her fingers in front of her.

Hermione squealed and jumped to her feet, throwing her arms around Harry and Ginny. "I'm so happy for you!" she exclaimed.

After momentary shock over Hermione's reaction, everyone else congratulated the couple as well.

"Congratulations, mate," Ron said with a grin. "I wasn't sure you had it in ya."

"Ron!" Hermione said, hitting her boyfriends arm.

"Kidding, kidding!" Ron exclaimed, holding his hands up.

Ginny didn't even have it in her to hex her brother, she was so happy.

Lily somehow managed to extract the girls from the Common Room and lead them into her room, where they spent hours fantasizing and admiring Ginny's ring and Harry's proposal. That left the boys in the Common Room for the time being.

"So, Harry. How long are you going to wait to marry her?" James asked with a grin.

Harry laughed. "Quite frankly, I'd marry her tomorrow if her I knew her mother wouldn't kill us. When I asked her and Mr. Weasley for permission, she burst into tears, and then threatened me and told me she would never speak to either of us again if we eloped. She said to have the wedding whenever we wanted, just don't elope."

"She did?" Ron asked incredulously. "When I said I was thinking of asking Hermione to marry me, she didn't threaten me."

Harry smirked. "Would Hermione ever let you elope?" He asked with a raised eyebrow. "Miss sensible, traditional, Hermione Granger?"

Ron went red. "I guess you have a point, mate."

Harry nodded. "Exactly. And if your Mum persuaded Ginny and I to wait an insanely long time to get married, Ginny would have convinced me to elope. Your Mum knows that," Harry finished his explanation with a wry grin.

Draco chuckled. "Anyone here actually thinking of eloping?" He asked amusedly.

"Definitely." Sirius said. "If I ever get married, I'm not going through all of that formal wedding crap. That's for sissies."

Harry started choking on his sip of water.

"No offense, mate," Sirius said with a laugh.

**A/N: Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter—lots of fluff, and there is more to come(just a warning haha). Please review!**


	14. Chapter 13: Consequences of the Mark

Chapter 13: Consequences of the Mark

**A/N: Here's chapter thirteen! It's a little more solemn to break up the fluff a bit. Hope you enjoy! Review please!**

"All I can say is, I'm glad I ran away, otherwise I'd have to go through all of the formalities of a Black pureblood wedding. Sorry Draco, but unless you run away, I guess that's your fate."

Draco shrugged. "I've long since accepted there are some things I can't get out of, simply because I'm a Malfoy. But thank Merlin Voldemort's gone by now. My father won't be as insistent that I marry a wealthy Slytherin pure-blood witch," Draco said, finishing with scorn.

"Your father's not in Azkaban?" Sirius asked. "He didn't force you to join the Death Eaters? My cousin Narcissa said he was very controlling, so I find that hard to believe."

Draco stiffened and opened his mouth, but Harry spoke first. "Lucius was controlling, but I testified both for Narcissa and Draco to get off on charges and they excused Lucius, too."

Sirius looked at Draco with wide eyes. "Do you have it?" he asked, a hard look on his face.

Draco flinched. "I had no choice. He threatened my whole family." His voice was soft at first, but got harsher as he continued.

"Sirius, leave it. If Harry testified for him, then he obviously believes he didn't deserve to go to Azkaban," James said calmly.

"Why did you testify for him?" Sirius asked, looking at Harry strangely. "Once a Death Eater, always a Death Eater," he said bitterly.

"Draco never was a Death Eater," Harry said in a low voice. "He was a coward. He may have the mark, but it's because Voldemort threatened to kill his mother after his father failed him one too many times. His father was in Azkaban already, thank Merlin, otherwise he certainly would have been killed." Harry kept talking, his eyes firmly locked with Sirius'. "Last year, when we were captured and brought to Malfoy Manor, Draco didn't let on that he knew exactly who we were, even when Bellatrix asked. And as for Narcissa, she saved my life by not telling Voldemort that I was still alive during the Final Battle. Neither of them deserved to go to Azkaban, and while maybe Lucius did, he also didn't have his wand for the last year of the war, so-" Suddenly, there was a frightened scream. Harry stopped speaking and jumped to his feet, whipping out his wand as he did so.

Jose paled. "That's Kacey. She must be having another of her nightmares." The boys ran into Lily's room and crowded with the girls around Kacey's bed. She was tossing and turning and Sarah had hold of her hand. "Kacey, wake up!" Jose snapped. He brushed her hair off of her forehead and leaned down. "Kacey, it's alright. You weren't there, wake up." A moment more of his soft murmuring and Kacey shot up in bed, eyes wide and full of tears. Jose took her in his arms and rocked her, everyone else slowly leaving the room to sit in the Common Room.

When they had all taken seats, everyone's eyes immediately swung towards Sarah, who was sitting next to Draco, face pale and holding his hand tightly. She spoke without being asked.

"We have an older brother," she began quietly. "His name is John. During the war, he went to England to fight. He was injured terribly, he got hit with a spell that slashed his body from head to toe, and was tortured on top of that. When we went to visit the hospital, Kacey could barely stay in the room. She has nightmares about what happened to him."

"What about you?" Draco asked quietly, regretting the fact that it was probably someone he knew that sent her brother to the hospital.

"I'm alright," Sarah replied, shrugging. "I don't have nightmares often, and when I do...they aren't that bad."

"Did he die?" Lily asked softly.

Sarah shook her head. "No, thank Merlin. It took him a long time to recover, and he still walks with a minor limp, but other than that and mental trauma, he's alright."

"Who was it?" Draco asked quietly.

"He never told me. I know he testified after the war, but he never told any of us who did it."

"Hey, it's alright. That's over now. John's okay." Jose murmured, leaning back on her bed with Kacey in his arms.

"I know," Kacey said tearfully, burying her face in Jose's neck. "It just...it's so scary, to think of what must have happened to him, what must have been done to put him in that condition."

"Just try not to think about it," Jose replied, stroking her hair back. "Think about how he was laughing with us this summer, and teasing you about me, and making fun of Sarah for her shoe and earring obsession."

Kacey giggled quietly. "I guess that's the way to go, huh?"

"Definitely," Jose replied. "Now, shh, go to sleep."

"Will you stay with me?" Kacey asked, wrapping her arms around his waist.

"I'll be here," Jose replied. It wasn't long before her breathing slowed down and she was asleep, allowing Jose to relax into dreamland as well.

"Do you want to see if she's okay, Sarah?" Lily asked. "We can go back to bed if she is."

Sarah nodded and stood, heading towards Lily's room and leaving the Common Room in silence.

"Who else has nightmares about the war?" James asked suddenly. "Is everything that bad?"

The group from the future looked uneasily at each other. "I've had nightmares since fourth year." Harry spoke first.

"My first year," Ginny said quietly, and Harry winced.

"Since Malfoy Manor." Ron said, causing Draco's head to snap up.

"Since the Ministry," Hermione said. "Fifth year," she added for the benefit of the Marauders and Lily. "All I hear is that stupid baby voice Bellatrix used, and then what she said at Malfoy Manor."

"Since the summer after my fifth year." Draco spoke up last, his face pale.

Sirius looked at him with the most surprise. "I'm sorry," he blurted suddenly. "I was out of line with what I said."

Draco shrugged. "It's alright. I'm used to it," he said.

"No, it's not alright. I know what it's like to want to get out of the family lifestyle."

Draco laughed bitterly. "Except that for the first fifteen years of my life, I was perfectly fine with our lifestyle."

"Either way, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have gone that far," Sirius insisted.

Sarah came out of Lily's room. "They're asleep. Her eyes are a little red, but that's to be understood."

Lily, Hermione, and Ginny got to their feet. "Let's get back to bed, then." Hermione said softly.

All of the boys except Draco stood as well. "I think we'll be done for the night, too." James said.

"I'll be there in a minute," Draco said. "Sarah, come here."

The room emptied quickly, which left Sarah and Draco standing in the middle of the Common Room.

"Do you really not know who did it?" He asked quietly. "You're not just keeping quiet because it was someone from my family?"

"Of course not," Sarah replied quietly. "I wouldn't lie about that. I really don't know who did it...though it may have been more than one Death Eater. I haven't kept anything from you."

Draco nodded. "Alright. I just…" he broke off. "Good night." He leaned down and kissed her, then turned and walked to James' room.

"Good night," she called quietly after him.


	15. Chapter 14: A Proposal and a Revelation

Chapter 14: A Proposal and a Revelation

The girls woke early the next morning. Jose had disappeared sometime during the night. It was Christmas, after all. They immediately started opening their presents, when suddenly Sarah paused.

"Guys...did you hear that? What was that?" She and the others looked around, all seeming to spot the pen in the middle of the room at the same moment. Kacey jumped out of bed.

"There's a note here. It says, 'One of the cats in the castle just had kittens. We got one for each of you.'" She leaned down to look in the pen and gasped. The other girls jumped out of bed and stood next to her. "It says the color of the collar corresponds with the color of the owner's dress last night."

"Oh my," Lily said, smiling as she leaned down to pick up a kitten in a dark green collar. It was beige, with white face, paws, and tummy. "Oh, she's adorable," Lily breathed.

Ginny grinned and picked up the kitten wearing the silver collar. It was orange with white feet and a white patch around one of it's eyes.

Hermione picked up the one in the white collar, cooing at it. It was black with a white face, paws and tummy, the same markings as Lily's.

Kacey's kitten was all white with orange feet. She laughed when she picked it up, straightening it's blue collar. "Jose obviously knew I'd like the unique one," she said with a smile.

Sarah picked up her hers last. In a red collar, it was all black except for one white paw, and a little splash of white on her forehead.

"Let's name them!" Kacey said with a grin. "I think I like...Ruby."

"That's a great name!" Hermione grinned. "I'm going to name mine Krystal."

"I want a unique name. I like Mora," Ginny said, after considering for a moment.

Lily stared at her kitten, pondering. "I'm naming mine Elena."

Sarah grinned at her kitten, which was staring at her with big eyes. "I'm naming mine Jazz," she said with a grin, setting her on the bed. "Go on, Jazzy, make yourself comfortable."

The girls got back on their beds with their kittens and opened the rest of their presents. They got candy and tricks from the boys, from their boyfriends, they got cat supplies, and from each other, various trinkets they loved. Kacey was opening her last gift, a small box from Jose, when she found a note inside it, telling her to meet him in one of the abandoned classrooms in the school. She grinned and called first dibs on the shower. It was probably the quickest she had ever gotten ready, and when she was finished, she grabbed Ruby and headed to meet Jose.

"How much do you want to bet he's doing something special?" Ginny asked with a grin after Kacey left.

"I already know he is," Sarah said with a mysterious grin. She stood and grabbed Jazz before anyone could ask any questions. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go thank my boyfriend for this lovely kitten."

Lily watched her leave, an amused look on her face. "I bet I can guess what he's planning," she said wryly.

Ginny and Hermione laughed and nodded, before getting ready themselves to face the new day.

Kacey reached the classroom with a spring in her step. Opening the door slowly, she gasped when she saw what Jose had done. There were a couple of desks in the middle of the room, the rest pushed to the side, and they were covered in tablecloths that had place settings and candles on them. He stood with a grin on his face next to what she assumed was her chair.

"Will you have a seat?" He asked, taking her hand and pushing her chair in.

He then sat across from her and snapped his fingers. Two house elves appeared, set a plate in front of each of them, and disappeared.

"I would have made breakfast, but the house elves wouldn't let me use their kitchen."

Kacey laughed, "If they had known how good of a cook you are, they would have reconsidered," she said, breathing in the smells of chocolate chip pancakes. "My favorite," she said with a grin.

Jose nodded and they dug in. They ate and talked quietly, Kacey thanking him for the kitten, which she loved. They also had a good laugh at said kitten as she explored the room and climbed all over the desks. When they finished their meal, Jose got a serious look on his face.

"You know I love you, right?" he asked, a little nervously.

"Yes," Kacey replied with a smile. "I love you, too."

"Okay. I love you so much that sometimes it feels as if I can't breathe when I'm not in the same room with you. You're like the other half of me, my soul mate. I want you to be mine forever, and so..." Jose stood and got on one knee in front of Kacey, taking her hand with one of his and holding a small black box with the other. "Kacey Lynne Coelho," he flipped the box open, revealing a gold ring with a diamond in the center, flanked by smaller diamonds and sapphires that interchanged halfway around the ring. "Will you marry me?"

Kacey gasped and nodded feverishly. "Yes, Jose, yes, I'll marry you," she said with tears in her eyes. Jose slipped the ring on her finger and she pulled him to his feet, throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him. He kissed her back, a grin on his face. "I love you," she said when she pulled away.

"And I love you," he replied, kissing her again.

Kacey pulled away with a grin. Her face was completely lit up as she scooped up Ruby and grabbed his hand. "Let's go tell the gang," she said with a grin. They got back to the Head Common Room quickly, brusting through the doors with grins on their faces. Kacey took it in stride when she saw her parents there. The minute she and Jose entered the room, Sarah jumped out of Draco's lap, an excited look on her face. "Guess what?" Kacey said excitedly.

"What?" Sarah practically jumped forward.

Kacey held out her hand and before she could get the words out, Sarah threw her arms around her and squealed. Kacey responded with a squeal of her own. When they pulled apart, Sarah hugged Jose as well. "I told you that you could do it!" she exclaimed.

By then, everyone figured out what had happened and gathered around, offering congratulations. Ginny and Kacey compared rings with good-natured grins.

"It's funny that Mum and Dad were in here when we came to tell everyone," Kacey said with a grin. "I mean, Harry's Mum and Dad were the first to know about you, it's only right that my parents were two of the first to know as well!"

"What?" Kathy's shocked voice came from behind Kacey, and she spun around, looking like a deer caught in the headlights. The room went silent, as if sensing confrontation. "I just came to tell you guys that Joe proposed last night, like Harry did."

Everyone immediately started congratulating the other couple, the time travelers hoping Kathy would forget what she overheard. No such luck.

When the room started to quiet down a little, Kathy spoke. "What did you mean it was only right that your parents were here when you announced your engagement?" she asked.

Kacey exchanged glances with Sarah. "Um...Sarah and I are from the future...you're our parents."

Kathy's mouth dropped open and Joe swore. "Isn't the main rule of time travel not to be seen? Or tell anyone of the future?" Kathy asked, an eyebrow raised.

"See..." Sarah said, wringing her hands, "we seem to fail at time travel. At least following the rules of it. We've given away at least a dozen things, and were seen almost immediately, mainly because we hadn't realized we went back in time until Harry's parents walked around the corner."

Kathy's eyes widened and she looked at Harry. "That must have been a shock."

"You've no idea." Harry replied with a roll of his eyes. "We were at a Halloween dance in our time, and the minute we all took a bite of food, there was this big flash of light and we ended up on the other side of the school. The next second...the Marauders and my mother walked around the corner. The bottom line is, knowing that you're Kacey and Sarah's parents isn't going to change the future. You're already engaged, so...just go through life as you planned to."

"You're twins?" Joe asked, stepping forward. Sarah nodded.

"Do we have any other kids?" Kathy asked curiously.

"We have an older brother," Kacey said with a grin. "John."


	16. Chapter 15: A Dangerous Encounter

Chapter 15: A Dangerous Encounter

Later that evening, after Joe and Kathy left, James, Lily, Harry, and Ginny decided to take a walk down to the lake.

"So, are you going to find Lucius next and introduce him to his son?" James asked amusedly as they left the school.

"Shut up," Harry said, irritated but with a grin on his face.

"I really don't think that would be such a good idea," Ginny said with a laugh. "He's immersed in Death Eater crap at the moment, I honestly don't understand how he even married Narcissa and had Draco if he was spending so much time working his way up to being Voldie's right-hand-man," Ginny mused.

"Is this something you've thought about a lot?" Harry asked, amused.

Ginny blushed. "No. Just recently, since Draco started hanging with Sarah."

"Why do you all call him Voldie?" James asked suddenly, a screwed up look on his face.

Ginny giggled. "Why not smite him even more by giving him a nickname?" She grinned.

Harry laughed and threw an arm around her shoulders.

"The other funny thing..." Lily said slowly. "All of you say his name."

"You can thank Harry for that," Ginny said with a grin. "He's said his name since the very beginning."

"Got it from Dumbledore," Harry said with a shrug. "Ron, Hermione, and Ginny got it from me, during DA meetings. Draco…I don't know when he started calling him by his name. Maybe he decided not to be so afraid of someone who no longer has control over his life. And Sarah and Kacey...well, I sort of snapped at them when they continued to call him 'You-Know-Who'. "

Ginny laughed. "That was hilarious. I think it was the first time they saw you show some serious emotion after all that brooding."

"Hey, now. Go easy. I had a right to brood," Harry said, faking an injured look.

"You had absolutely no right to brood, and you know it," Ginny said, elbowing her fiancé.

"Brood about what?" James asked, giving Harry a look when he groaned.

"Brood in self-pity and guilt that he had no right to feel," Ginny said nonchalantly. "He was a git back then. He was lucky I loved him enough to snap him out of it."

Harry's cheeks flamed. "An angry Ginny is something I never want to be faced with again," Harry said in a low voice.

"You made it up to me, afterwards," Ginny said with a grin.

Harry looked at her, eyes smoldering. "You've got that right," he said with a smirk.

"So, what's the DA?" Lily said quickly, afraid her son was going to pounce on his fiance. He had that look in his eye.

James looked amused. "Yeah, why don't get your mind out of the gutter?"

Harry ignored him and answered Lily's question. "In my fifth year we had that horrible toad of a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. She didn't teach us anything but theory, and was following a Ministry-approved curriculum. I got detention more than once for telling her it was rubbish, seeing as Voldemort had come back barely three months before. Hermione decided we should start our own defense group, with me as the teacher," Harry said, shaking his head. "Somehow, she convinced me to go along with it, and so Dumbledore's Army was formed. The week after our first meeting, Umbridge put up a Decree disbanding all gatherings of three people or more. It didn't stop us. And Dumbledore saved us when we got caught. Thank god, because technically what we were doing was illegal," He shrugged. "Those were some pretty good months."

Lily groaned. "James, why does he have to be so much like you?"

Ginny laughed, "He's brilliant. You know," she said to Harry. "You should really think about teaching in your future. God knows McGonagall could always use a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."

"Ha," Harry said dryly. "And have kids stare at me like I'm their idol and ask multiple questions about the Hunt and Battle? I don-" He swore when a jet of red light came out of nowhere. Slashing his wand through the air, he brought up a shield charm quick as lightning. James pushed Lily behind him, but Harry just squeezed Ginny's hand and stood shoulder to shoulder with her. "Who's there?" he snapped harshly.

"Aww, is wittle baby Potter scared?" The familiar voice caused sparks to shoot out of Harry's wand. The maniacal cackle that followed sent chills down Lily's spine. "The Dark Lord will be pleased," the woman hissed, stepping out from behind a tree.

"Bellatrix," Harry snarled, stepping forward. "What do you want?"

"Look at that," Another familiar voice drawled. "Potter defending the Mudblood."

"I don't need defending," Lily spat. "Not against the likes of you."

And unfamiliar voice shouted next. "Stupefy!" The red jet of light was blocked by Harry yet again.

James' face went pale. He obviously recognized the voice. The next second spells erupted from the darkness and all of them were retaliating. Harry came face to face with Bellatrix, James with the unknown Death Eater, and Ginny and Lily teamed up against Lucius. For Ginny, it was personal, considering the fact that he had slipped the diary into her cauldron before her first year. For Lily, it was because she wanted all of this to end.

"Aww, little baby Potter giving it his best shot," Bellatrix whined. "Wait until the Dark Lord hears there two of you. My cousin said there were, but I wasn't sure whether to believe him or not." She hissed when one of Harry's curses narrowly missed her. On either side of her, Lucius was retreating, and the unknown Death Eater had gotten hit by a couple of spells already.

"Bella," Lucius gasped, "We've got to leave,"

A second later, all three Death Eaters had disappeared.

"James," Lily's voice came out of the darkness. "I think...my arm..." she trailed off on a gasp.

While James went to Lily, Harry had Ginny in his arms in record time. "Are you alright?" he asked frantically, brushing hair back from her face and touching the scratch on her cheek lightly.

"Fine," she gasped, then groaned, "My ankle."

"Alright, let's get you to the hospital wing. Dad, let's get them to the hospital wing."

A half an hour later, James and Harry were sitting next to Ginny and Lily's beds. Lily had broken her arm from one of Lucius' curses, and Ginny had fractured her ankle. The foursome had talked to Dumbledore about the attack, and James had kept mum on the third Death Eaters name, though Harry knew he was aware of who it was.

"Who was the last Death Eater?" he asked in a hushed voice when Professor Dumbledore finally left. When James paled, he continued, "It was Regulus, wasn't it?"

"How did you know?" James asked, his hand shaking as he gripped Lily's.

Harry shrugged. "There's no other Death Eater you would lie to Dumbledore about+, to protect."

They all jumped when the doors slammed open and their friends rushed in, led by Ron, with a frantic Hermione behind him.

"What the hell were you thinking?" He snapped, immediately rounding on Harry.

"What are you talking about, Ron?" Harry hissed back, getting to his feet. Ginny narrowed her eyes from her bed.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about! You think they just appeared there because of a coincidence? They came for you! And almost got Ginny while they were at it!"

Harry flinched. "You know that's not true," he said steadily.

"You were all too keen to believe it at the funeral when you broke up with Ginny!" Ron said back, clenching his fists and taking a step forward.

"Don't go there, Ron, don't go there!" Harry said angrily.

"You're taking this attack too lightly!" Ron snapped. "The same as you took Ginny's detention with Hagrid too lightly! The same as you took Ted's comment about the Weasley's being lucky that another of their kids wasn't hurt!"

"Is that was this is about?" Harry hissed. "That's over, Ron! It's over! I already told you what they meant by that, and when you got back to Shell Cottage, I was proved right, wasn't I?"

"It doesn't matter, it was still your fault! The Death Eaters are always after you!" Ron yelled.

"Not this time, Ron! Before, maybe that would have worked, but now we're not even in our own time! Get it through your head, Ron! They weren't after me this time! In this time, I don't even exist! They didn't know I was here until tonight, and even then, they don't know who I am in regards to Voldemort." Harry shook his head when he finished talking, and then strode from the room, leaving it in silence.

Ginny spoke first. "You had no right to say that to him. You, more than anybody, know what goes through his mind. You know he blames himself for everything, and the first time it wasn't actually his fault, you stick the blame on him!" Ginny snapped, tears filling her eyes. "And for the record? Take to heart something Harry already knows. I can take care of myself," she ended in a hiss, and Ron stared at her in surprise before turning and leaving the room.

"I tried to calm him down." Hermione said quietly.

"She really did," Kacey spoke next. "It was like she knew exactly how he would react."

"Kacey...I would go after him if I could, but seeing as I can't really get out of bed right now, will you?"

"Yea," Kacey smiled sadly, kissed Jose's cheek, and went after Harry.

"Hermione, you may want to go after Ron. Get him to apologize, or at least start to. Knowing Harry, he won't let him finish, but have him make the effort."

"Harry's a saint. Sometimes I wonder how they're still friends," Hermione said, shaking her head as she left the wing. "Ron was out of line."

"I think we all figured that out," Draco drawled.

"Draco," Sarah said warningly, squeezing his hand.

"So, would I be correct in assuming at least one of my family members was there today?" Draco asked, pulling up a chair at the foot of Ginny's bed.

"Unfortunately, you would. All three of them, actually. Your father, your aunt, and your cousin."

Sirius' face went white. "Did you tell Dumbledore?" He looked straight at James.

"Not about Regulus, but I think he suspected," James said softly.

"Are you all okay?" Draco asked, looking at Ginny and Lily mostly. "Auntie Bellatrix is harsh with her wand."

"Lily and I got your father," Ginny said. "Blame him for her arm and my face. Harry got Bellatrix, and he seemed fine, but if he's hurt, he's also not likely to say anything."

Madame Pomfrey suddenly came out of her office and shrieked when she saw how many people were in the hospital wing. "All of you, out! My patients need rest!"

James managed to get permission to stay, but the others headed back to the Common Room.

Kacey found Harry in an empty classroom not far from the hospital wing. He was standing at the back, just staring out the window. She imagined he was remembering the damage after the Final Battle as he looked over the grounds.

"Hey," she said softly.

"Ginny send you?" he asked in a low voice, amused as he glanced back at her.

Kacey gave him a sheepish smile and crossed the room to stand next to him.

"It wasn't your fault," she said.

Harry laughed. "I know. This time, I know that. But Ron sort up dredged up old feelings."

"You shouldn't let what he says get to you," Kacey said quietly. "He says them out of anger or fear, and that's the time when people say things they regret. Just give him some time to cool off. He'll come around."

"He always does," Harry said with a smirk.

"And it isn't true," Kacey said a bit reprovingly, guessing the thoughts that went through his head. "You didn't take anything the wrong way, and I know you're taking the attack just as seriously, if not more seriously, than Ron thinks he is."

Harry nodded slightly. "I know. Thanks, Kacey. I'm going back to the Common Room. Tell Ginny I'm alright and she can take a breath. No brooding for me at the moment."

Kacey grinned and nodded, leaving the room and heading back to the hospital wing.

**A/N: Hey, guys! We hope you enjoyed that little bit of drama! Please review and tell us what you think.**


	17. Chapter 16: Stories

Chapter 16: Stories

Kacey came back into the hospital wing barely a minute after the others left and Ginny sat up straight in bed. They were lucky Madame Pomfrey had already retreated to her office again.

"What did he say?" Ginny asked, biting her lip.

"He's alright," Kacey reassured her. "I told him not to let what Ron said get to him, and reminded him that it wasn't true about a thousand times."

"How did Ron hit a nerve that badly?" Lily asked quietly from the next bed. James looked at Ginny curiously as well.

Ginny hesitated and then decided it couldn't hurt. "Harry has a tendency to blame himself whenever someone he cares about gets hurt."

James looked baffled. "Why would he do that?"

Ginny hesitated again. "Well, the night Voldemort came back was the night of the Third Task of the Triwizard Tournament. Harry's name was drawn from the Goblet of Fire after it was hoodwinked. He didn't put his name in, someone else did. And that same someone turned the Triwizard Cup into a Portkey to take him to the graveyard Voldemort was supposed to return. He tried the best he could to make sure Harry reached the cup first. But he didn't count on Harry's selflessness. He and the other Hogwarts champion reached the trophy at the same time. Harry had just helped the other champion out of a bind with an Acromantula, and so the other champion told Harry to take the Cup. Harry insisted they take it at the same time. So they were both transported to the graveyard, and the other champion was killed."

Lily gasped. "Oh my...that must have been terrible."

"That's why his nightmares started that summer," Ginny finished quietly.

"There's got to be more than that," James said.

"He blamed himself for Sirius, too," Ginny said. "But let's not go over that right now." She turned back to Kacey. "Did he say whether or not he was coming back?"

"He said he was going to the common room," Kacey said, sitting in Harry's vacated chair.

"Oh, well-"

"How was Sirius's death considered Harry's fault?" James interrupted, raising an eyebrow at Ginny.

"Didn't I just say we'd leave that for now? The bottom line is, it wasn't his fault. He was merely being an idiot when he drowned in guilt afterwards. No worries, I managed to push that through his thick head," Ginny said curtly. "If the time comes, you may find out, but I really don't wish to talk about it right now." She suddenly laughed. "Funny how at the Ministry it was Lucius who broke my ankle, and he nearly broke it this time, too." Ginny sighed. "I just want out of the hospital wing. Either I'm always in here with Harry when he gets hurt or I'm in here myself."

"How does it feel being in here in the past?" Lily asked with a grin.

"No different," Ginny said amusedly. "But good try. Well," she amended, "No different except for the company. Kacey, you should probably get back to the common room before Madame Pomfrey catches you. Tell Harry his mission tomorrow is to break me out of this wing. Make sure you remind him that it will be fairly easy compared to any other mission he's had to take on so far."

Kacey laughed, getting to her feet. "No worries, Ginny. Your ankle isn't that bad, I'm sure Madame Pomfrey will let you out first thing tomorrow, and if not, I doubt Harry will hesitate in breaking you out. That boy will do anything for you." And she turned on her heel and left; Ginny figured she was going to spend a little time with Jose.

"Ginny...I have a question," Lily asked hesitantly.

"Ask away." Ginny said with a sigh. "I can't guarantee I'll answer you, but it's worth a try."

James looked at Lily, who had an anxious look on her face and a sad look in her eyes. "What's wrong, babe?"

"It's just...everyone's talking about Harry's life as if it was nothing but hardships. At least after he got to Hogwarts. Was his childhood good? Did he still have fun times at school, even through yearly attacks from Voldemort?"

Ginny was silent for a moment. Then she looked at her hands in her lap and spoke. "His childhood was hard. That's all I'm really going to say. There was, of course, the factor of growing up without you...and the way the Dursley's treated him. I'm not going to say anything more about that. As for after he got to school, he met Ron and Hermione. They had great times. They're his best friends. He met Ron first. He didn't know how to get onto the platform, and asked my Mum, who introduced them right away, of course." Ginny grinned. "I remember, when we realized who he was, begging Mum to go on the train and meet him. She didn't let me, and then when I actually met him the summer before my first year, I completely embarrassed myself. I knocked over a porridge bowl and stuck my elbow in the butter dish at one point during breakfast when he asked me a question, and the first time he said hi, I was still in my pajamas, so I blushed crimson and ran back upstairs."

Lily laughed. "Tell me more little things," she said eagerly, a smile on her face.

"Okay," Ginny said, thinking back. "Oh! The beginning of his friendship with Hermione is a really good story," Ginny grinned. "They did not get off to a good start. Hermione was very much a know-it-all goody-two-shoes when she was younger. In her first year she was under the impression that being expelled was worse than death." James snorted. "Anyway, they were learning the levitation spell in Charms, and Ron was having some trouble with it. Hermione, of course, corrected him and told him he was saying it wrong. Ron challenged her to do it and she succeeded on the first try. When they all left class, Ron vented to Harry about how she was a nightmare, and it was no wonder she didn't have any friends. Hermione overheard and they heard later that she was crying in one of the bathrooms. It was Halloween night, and when everyone but Hermione was at the feast, their Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, who actually had Voldemort on the back of his head, came running in to the Great Hall to announce that there was a troll in the dungeons. Harry's saving-people thing kicked in for the first time, and he dragged Ron with him to go and warn Hermione about the troll because she didn't know about it. However, as they approached the girls bathroom, they heard screaming and realized that the troll was already in the bathroom with Hermione. So instead of getting a teacher, they rushed in and somehow, through 'sheer dumb luck', according to McGonagall, they knocked out the troll and saved Hermione. From then on, they were pretty inseparable—except for a few notable incidents in later years involving Ron and one of them."

James' mouth was wide open by the end of the story. "They knocked out a troll in first year?!"

Ginny grinned, "They did."

"Will all of your stories leave us wondering how he's survived this long?" Lily asked in a high voice.

Ginny grimaced slightly and shrugged helplessly. "Most of them, I'm afraid."

James grinned. "Tell us more!"

Ginny sighed. "Let's think...okay, the summer before my first year, the only way Harry was able to come to my house, was when Fred and George, my twin brothers, and Ron, flew to his house in my Dad's flying car and busted him out." She grinned. "And then, after getting in trouble for that, they ended up driving to school in it-Harry and Ron, I mean-because a crazy but awesome house-elf sealed the barrier because he wanted to protect Harry. They flew into the Whomping Willow."

"Wicked!" James said with a grin, and Lily gasped and hit his arm.

"I can't believe him! He was just as bad as you were in pranks, too!"

"I will give him the fact that he didn't mean to," Ginny said, grinning. "Let's see, in third year Hermione punched Draco Malfoy in the face...Ron did the same thing during the Final Battle, but I'm not there yet. Um...he had to learn the Patronus charm because dementors were at the school and they affected him more than anyone, which he became especially aware of after he fell off his broom during a Quidditch match when they entered the grounds. He was okay, though!" She said hastily. "During the next Quidditch match, dementors appeared on the field again. He had his wand with him, and he performed the Patronus Charm. After he caught the Snitch he flew back down to the ground and it turned out the dementors weren't real dementors, but instead Draco, and his cronies Crabbe and Goyle. His Patronus scared the crap out of them." She stopped a moment to grin at James' and Lily's laughter.

"Let's hear more," James said eagerly. He looked like a kid on Christmas, drinking in the stories.

"This isn't exactly a Harry story, but in order to choose champions for the Triwizard Tournament, you had to put your name in the Goblet of Fire. You also had to be seventeen and Dumbledore drew an age line around the Goblet so no one under seventeen could put their names in. Fred and George took an aging potion, because their birthday was only a few months away. When they crossed the line, they thought it worked, and everyone was cheering, when suddenly they were thrown out of the circle with white beards. They've always had a knack for bringing life to the school. Okay, sorry, back on track," Ginny grinned at Lily and James, who shared a laugh over that story, too.

"I think I would have liked them," James said happily.

"You were their role models," Ginny said with a smirk. "They found your map in Filch's office and used it ever since, until they gave it to Harry in his third year. Next story. In his fourth year, Harrry was arguing with Draco, and turned around to leave, but apparently Draco pulled out his wand to curse Harry's back. Professor Moody, who was actually a Death Eater in disguise, turned Malfoy into a white ferret." Ginny grinned as James snorted. "Okay, there have got to more stories that Harry's told me. Oh, well, Harry didn't miss out on everything. My dad managed to get tickets to the Quidditch World Cup the summer before my third year and Harry got to go to that. Ireland won."

James shook his head in disbelief. "All the small things I've done completely equal up to the big things Harry has, and I count the ones you've told me on one hand!" he said in astonishment.

Lily looked over at him doubtfully. "I wouldn't go that far," she said, pursing her lips. "You've done some pretty big things here, too."

Ginny giggled. "Harry's feats range as more life threatening on the scale," she said amusedly.

Lily looked at her for a moment. "You're perfect for him, aren't you?"

Ginny blushed red. "What do you mean?"

"You've been here for two months and I can tell you two are completely in love."

"I'd sure hope so," Ginny said with a grin. "I'm marrying him, aren't I?"

"There is that," Lily said with a smile. "But you're so alike, and so different at the same time. You both have the firey tempers, but you can be a little more violent without thinking and Harry does think of what he's doing."

Ginny grinned. "I think I'll take that as a compliment."

"You're also a striking couple together," Lily continued, "And you've been through so much that you balance with each other perfectly."

"And you're a redhead," James chimed in. Lily gave him a dubious look. "What?" he said defensively. "It's true. All Potters marry redheads."

Lily shook her head at him. "I hope Harry doesn't act like him," she said amusedly.

"Occasionally he does," Ginny said with a grin, "but that's to be expected. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree."

"So that means he had girls chasing after him all through school?" James asked eagerly.

Ginny sighed. "He did but he's only really gone out with me and one other, and she barely even counted," Ginny shrugged. "Doesn't mean I like her," she added.

They heard a chuckle from the doorway. "The look you gave her when she came up to me in Diagon Alley could have killed," Harry said amusedly, walking over to Ginny's bed and sliding on next to her, pulling her into his body.

"I thought you were going back to the Common Room?" Ginny asked, leaning up to kiss him gently.

"I was, but I have trouble sleeping so far away from you," Harry said amusedly. "And I didn't really say goodnight. Of course, now that I'm here, you may not be able to get rid of me."

Ginny giggled. "That's alright with me, love."

"Good," Harry said with an indulgent look. "So what have you been talking about? Besides my love life," he gave an amused look to his father.

"I've been telling them Harry stories." Ginny said with a smile.

"Oh, really? What kind of stories?"

"I told them about how you became friends with Hermione, my embarrassing stories the first time you came to the Burrow, about the flying car, when Hermione punched Draco, when you sent your Patronus at Draco dressed as a dementor, about Fred and George's aging potion, about Draco and the white ferrett, and that we went to the Quidditch Cup." Harry chuckled as she listed the stories but raised his eyebrow at the last one she mentioned.

"Just that I went to the Cup?" He asked carefully.

"Yup. And had a great time at the game. And before the game," Ginny grinned. "Remember when Dad was trying to put the tent up? And when he couldn't light matches?"

Harry grinned. "I do remember that. So you got through fifth year, huh?" Harry asked, taking a moment to think. "I can't really think of many funny stories from my fifth and sixth year," he said finally.

"No funny stories?" James asked. "None at all?" He and Lily looked dismayed.

"Oh, well...We already told you about the twins with the fireworks and the swamp. That was my fifth year." He paused a moment and then added, "And I'm fairly certain that some time after the toad had been made headmistress, I saw Professor McGonagall telling Peeves how to unscrew a chandelier."

"Minnie? Minnie McGonagall? Are we talking about the same woman here?" James asked incredulously.

"Yes, we are. I told you, the toad was a teacher from hell. She was given the job of inspecting all of the other teachers as well, which was a big reason they all hated her. We also already told you that when Flitwick got rid of the swamp, he left a section roped off in memory of what the twins did to drive Umbridge up the wall." Harry grinned. "They later started a joke shop, and it's more popular than Zonko's. They bought out the store in Hogsmeade. And, they were the only students Peeves has ever listened to. When they dropped out, they told Peeves to 'give her hell', and Peeves saluted them."

Lily and James looked astonished and Harry grinned. Ginny gave him a smile and then grabbed his hand. "You know, Harry. I was telling James and Lily here that your job tomorrow was going to be breaking me out of here. Are you able to do it now?" She asked brightly. Harry laughed.

"Well...I don't know." He brought his hand down to his pocket for a moment and the next second, Harry and Ginny had disappeared. James and Lily heard a squeal and then silence.

"Did he really just do that?" James asked, wide-eyed. They watched the hospital wing door for any signs of it opening. It didn't move.

"They were just joking with us," Lily said reassuringly, but she sounded skeptical. "Harry wouldn't really do that, would he?"

James chuckled. "I don't think we really know what Harry would do, love."

Outside the hospital wing, Harry carried Ginny bridal style down the hallway. They were under his Invisibility Cloak. She was laughing-silently because of the silencing charm he'd put on her. She hit him after a moment and Harry looked down at her, amused. "Are you going to be quiet?" he whispered. When she nodded vigorously, he undid the silencing charm and continued walking.

"Do they know we left?" Ginny asked quietly.

Harry chuckled softly. "Considering I put an illusion on the door to make it look like it didn't open? I don't think so."

"I didn't expect you to actually do it, you know." Ginny said amusedly.

"Anything for you, love." Harry said with a smile. "So, where are we going?"

Ginny smiled sheepishly. "We should probably go back to the hospital wing so your parents don't worry." she said amusedly.

Harry sighed but turned around obediently. He paused, however, when they reached the hospital wing doors.

"Where did Miss Weasley go?" Madame Pomfrey was saying shrilly.

"I...we-!" Lily stuttered.

Madame Pomfrey waved her off. "I bet it was that Harry Potter! Like father, like son, and this is something you would do!" she accused James.

At that moment, Harry walked out supporting Ginny from the other end of the hospital wing. "What's going on?" he asked, faking surprise.

"You!" Madame Pomfrey snapped. "Where were you?"

"Ginny needed help getting to the bathroom," Harry said with an eyebrow raised. "Where did you think we were?"

Madame Pomfrey stared at him as he eased Ginny back into the bed and sat on the edge. "Oh never mind," she muttered. "I come out to check on my patients and find one of them gone," and with that, she walked away.

"Where did you go?" James asked, eyes wide.

Harry shrugged. "We were halfway down the hallway but Ginny said we should come back in case we worried you."

"How did you get out the door?" Lily cried. "It didn't open."

"I put an illusion up," Harry said with a raised eyebrow. "That's how I got back inside, too. It's a good thing we came back when we did."

"Good cover," James agreed.

Lily was staring in shock. "Your illusion charms are really good. Even I can't perform one that well!"

James laughed. "He is a year older than you, Lils."

Harry shrugged, "Hermione taught me, and she's pretty much the best in our time."

"Pretty much?" Ginny asked amusedly. "She's definitely the best. She could do a Protean charm in her fifth year!"

"And it still works today," Harry added.

Ginny sighed and looked at Harry. "Are you staying here?"

Harry smiled. "If you want me to."

"I want," Ginny said with a grin.

"Alright then. Are you staying, Dad?" he asked James.

"I'll probably sleep on the chair, yeah," James said with a shrug, and Lily squeezed his hand as he helped her lay down on the bed.

"Night, guys," Harry said.

"Good night, Harry."

Harry and Ginny stared at each other for a few seconds before he helped her lay down and swung his legs up on the bed, laying next to her. He hooked an arm around her waist and pulled her to him, kissing her neck from behind. "I love you."

"Love you, too," Ginny whispered, closing her eyes.

It didn't take long before they were asleep.

Lily looked up at James. "I'm so happy for them. For him. That's he's happy with her," she whispered.

"Me too, Lils, me too."


	18. Chapter 17: New Years

Chapter 17: New Years

**A/N: This is one of my favorite chapters, so I hope you guys enjoy! Also, a big thanks to our reviewers, especially Eli and scrappy8, we really enjoy hearing from you, and we'd love to hear from more of you, so keep reviewing, please!**

**Also, Disclaimer: Unfortunately, neither Kacey or I own the Harry Potter franchise, only our OC's and the story line, but we hope you enjoy anyway!**

They were having a party. Granted, it was a small party, but only because Lily refused to let Sirius invite half the school. Very few were allowed in the Head Common Room as it was, and they'd already gone over their maximum amount of visitors. Lily and Hermione managed to hook up the Muggle radio stations to the Wizarding wireless, and so it was playing a mix of both wizard and Muggle tunes. James, Harry, Ron, and Sirius had gone down to the kitchens-while Hermione was looking up a charm in the library-to get some food. Somehow they managed to bring up several trays in one trip, and they wouldn't tell Lily how they'd done it. The fire was roaring, and James and Remus had managed to charm a countdown clock to the wall.

"Four hours," Harry said with a grin, coming up to Ginny with two bottles of butterbeer.

"Thanks, babe," she took the bottle and took a sip before holding the bottle in front of her. "Did they spike these?" she asked suspiciously.

Harry laughed. "Sirius may have. Just don't drink more than one."

"We should ask him how much he put in," Ginny muttered.

Harry raised an eyebrow, looking over Ginny's shoulder. "Do you want to interupt them?"

Ginny turned around and laughed when she saw Sirius and Celeste sitting wrapped together on an armchair in a corner. They were extremely preoccupied with each other. "They remind me of Ron and Lavender," Ginny said, wrinkling her nose.

"Let's hope Hermione doesn't make that connection."

They both turned at Kacey's shriek. "Ah! Jose, stop it!" she yelped, laughing uncontrollably.

Jose had grabbed Kacey around the waist and was spinning her around to the music. After a minute of watching them, Sarah grabbed Draco's hand and pulled him to the middle of the room as well. He resisted for a few minutes, but finally she said something that made him roll his eyes and agree before he grabbed her hands and started to dance. Harry grabbed Ginny's hands and pulled her out to dance as well.

"Doesn't it feel good? Knowing that they're happy?" Kathy turned her head, moving it from Joe's shoulder to look at Lily, who was standing with James next to them.

"Yeah..." she said, "It's sort of weird, knowing everything-I mean, knowing who our kids are and who they grow up to be-but it's reassuring to know that-at least now-there's some point in their life when they're completely happy and in love."

Lily grinned. "Definitely. Especially considering James and I aren't even alive in their time," her smile faded. "And we weren't alive for a while."

"Hey," James said, throwing an arm around her, "Don't think on that. Think of all of the fun times we must have had before that. Me teaching him tricks to drive you crazy, and you teaching him tricks in secret and then denying it."

Lily laughed. "I can see that. I do see that. Whenever I close my eyes."

She leaned into James and he kissed the top of her head, murmuring, "You're going to be Lily Potter some day."

"If you told me that two years ago, I would have said you were crazy."

Remus laughed as Jose and Draco suddenly switched partners, catching each others girlfriends by an inch and nearly letting them crash into something. Katie glanced over at him and leaned her head on his shoulder, intertwining her fingers with his. They were sitting on a couch on the sidelines, and no one was really paying attention to them.

"Remus?" she said quietly.

"Yeah?"

"I-Can I ask you something?" She squeezed his hand in hers and moved to lay down so her head was in his lap.

He looked down at her, a little puzzled at her tentative question. She'd slowly been getting more comfortable with him and her hesitant attitude was a little surprising. "What's on your mind?" he asked, threading his fingers into her curly black hair and stroking it rhythmically with his thumb.

Katie bit her lip and stared up at him. "Where do you really go every month? You always seem to come back with cuts and injuries, and I've been worried these past few times. If you really are going home, and something's wrong, you should tell someone. But for some reason, I get the feeling you're not even going home."

Remus froze and stiffened. His hand stopped moving, his face lost all color, and his eyes widened. Then he clenched his fist in her hair before letting it go and running it through his own. Katie sat up, looking at him concernedly.

"I guess you don't have to tell me," she said, looking away. He squeezed her hand and she looked back to see him giving her a strained smile.

"No...you probably have a right to know. Out of anyone." He looked away from her and stared into the fire. "I...When I was young, my father angered a man...a horrible, sick, man. That man decided to take revenge by attacking me." Remus swallowed and took a breath, before looking back at Katie and saying in a flat voice, "I'm a werewolf."

Katie stared at him, eyes widening in horror. Remus blinked, his eyes grew pained, and he looked away. "That's why I didn't tell you," he said in a low voice, pulling his hand from her grasp.

"No..." Katie whispered, reaching for his hand again. He stared down at it and then looked up at her. "How could you think I'd pull away just because of that?" she asked, reaching her hand up to cup his cheek. "I...I was thinking...that must have been horrible for you."

Remus stared at her, apprehension written all over his face. "You...you really don't care?" He asked, voice breaking slightly. He swallowed.

"Not in the least," Katie whispered, tears coming to her eyes. " It kills me to think of you going through that. And all alone, every month..."she trailed off, looking away and Remus took her chin in his hand, a ghost of a smile on his face.

"Thank you," he said softly, and she didn't mention it, but she could tell his eyes were filled with tears. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I didn't want to lose you. And I'm not alone," he smirked slightly.

Katie's eyes widened. "There's someone else?" she exclaimed.

"No! Not another werewolf!" Remus said quickly. "I meant..." he trailed off and glanced at James and Sirius, the only two Marauders in the room. Sirius was still wrapped around Celeste, but James was watching him. Remus had a feeling he knew exactly what they were discussing, and was ready to charge over and kill Katie if she said anything against him. Remus smiled slightly at him and raised an eyebrow in question. James grinned and gave a nod. Remus turned back to Katie, who was watching him questioningly.

"What was that about?" she asked uncertainly.

"I was making sure it was okay to tell you. And James said it was fine. James, Sirius, and Peter are Animagi. When they found out about me...they did research on werewolves and figured out that werewolf bites don't harm animals, so they became Animagi to be with me every full moon." Remus explained.

Katie raised an eyebrow. "Sirius and James did research?" She was rewarded when Remus chuckled. "But where do you go? What are they?"

Remus smiled slightly at her. "Under the Whomping Willow, there's a tunnel. If you push the right knot at the base of the trunk, the tree freezes and the tunnel leads you to-"

"The Shrieking Shack," Katie finished for him, amazed. "So that's where it gets it's name. It's you."

"Righto." Remus said. "After Madame Pomfrey goes back inside, James, Sirius, and Peter come out in their Animagi forms. Peter is a rat-small enough to crawl to the base of the tree and push on the knot, and James and Sirius are a stag and a dog-both large enough to control me if there's trouble."

"Wow. That's advanced magic."

Remus grinned at her and put an arm around her shoulders, pulling her in next to him. "I'm crazy about you," he breathed in her ear. Katie beamed.

Ron spun Hermione out and quick as a flash, pulled her back against him. She grinned up at him, cheeks flushed from laughter and crazy dancing.

He stared down at her, and slowly a serious look came over his face. "Do you want to go for a walk?" He glanced up and out the window. "It looks like it's snowing."

Hermione smiled. "Sure. Let's get some coats on."

When Harry, in an improvisational moment, grabbed Lily and pulled her to him to dance, Ginny grinned and went over to stand by James.

"Having fun?" James asked, grinning at her.

"Yeah," Ginny said with a smile, watching Harry dance with his mother. "I'm glad he has the chance to get to know you," she said quietly.

"I'm glad we get to know him, too. At least now we know he grows up to be a good man."

Ginny nodded and paused a moment, then spoke again. "I actually wanted to ask you something." she said hesitantly.

James looked over at her curiously. "What's on your mind?" he asked, concerned.

"I was wondering about Potter Manor." Ginny said quietly. "Harry knows nothing about it, or he hasn't mentioned anything."

James nodded. "Well, considering Harry didn't grow up there, it's understood that he wouldn't know about it. The Potter heir officially inherits Potter Manor when he gets engaged. Since he only asked you to marry him last week, and isn't officially the Potter heir in this time, he hasn't officially inherited it yet. When you go back to the future, however, I'm sure he'll be informed of it soon after you're officially registered as back in your correct time."

Ginny nodded slowly. "But how do...how do they know that we're engaged?"

"It's the magic of the engagement, out of love, and the magic of the family. When a Potter heir gets engaged, the magic registers immediately on the Potter family tree. A ghost of a line appears between the heir and his fiance, who appears on the fabric right away. Of course, that only happens when the engagement is recognized as one out of love and not greed or some other negative emotion. But you have nothing to worry about there," James grinned. "You and Harry are so obviously in love with each other, it's almost sickening."

Ginny hit James on the arm, giving him a reproving look, but she was smiling.

Ron and Hermione came to a stop in front of the giant oak tree by the lake. He threw an arm around her shoulders, kissing her on the cheek.

"Do you remember it was here, right after the Final Battle, that we first said we loved each other?" Ron asked quietly.

Hermione looked at him, surprised. Ron was not one to talk about his feelings often. "How could I forget? We were bickering because you woke up Harry and Ginny, when for the first time in a year, Harry actually looked peaceful."

Ron laughed. "Yeah. You were yelling at me and then I just kissed you."

Hermione sighed. "And from then on, that's what you do whenever we get into an argument."

"I can't help it if you look beautiful when you're mad at me!" Ron said with a grin.

Hermione giggled, leaning her head on Ron's shoulder.

"Hermione." Ron said suddenly, pulling away and taking her hands. "I...I don't think I say it enough, how much I love you. And I do. So much. You...kept me together after losing Fred, and going through everything after the Battle, and I wouldn't have gotten through it without you. I have a huge family, but for some reason, I could be in the middle of them, and when you're not around, I feel empty. And that time I left you and Harry...I couldn't believe how much I missed you. What I'm trying to say is, I don't ever want to be without you again. Hermione Jean Granger..." Ron pulled a little black box out of his pocket and got down on one knee. "I love you. Will you make me the happiest I've ever been and be my wife?" He flipped open the box and Hermione gasped. She glanced at the ring, which was a gold ring with a large ruby surrounded by diamonds, and then stared into his eyes, sinking to her knees as she nodded.

"Yes, Ron. I'll marry you. You've just made me the happiest woman in the world." She said, leaning forward to kiss him.

When they pulled away, Ron slipped the ring onto her finger, and looked at her. "And you've made me the happiest man."

With that, he leaned in to kiss her again just as the explosion rocked the school.

Meanwhile, back in the Head Common Room, the couples were sitting around on the couches and chairs. Most girlfriends had taken positions on their boyfriends laps because there wasn't that much room with so many people crowded in.

James checked his watch. "Five minutes until we ring in the new year," he said with a grin.

Noticed by all, but not commented on by any, James, Sirius, and Remus had disappeared a half hour earlier. They'd returned ten minutes later with wide grins on their faces and eyes bright with excitement.

Now, Lily glanced at James with a slightly suspicious look on her face. "You have something planned, don't you?" she asked, giving him a searching look.

James merely shrugged. "I've no idea what you're talking about," he said smoothly.

Lily looked at Remus, who was talking quietly with Katie, and Sirius, who was kissing Celeste's neck and murmuring something in her ear. They looked to be focused on their tasks, but also slightly distracted. Sirius' eyes kept darting between James, Remus, and his watch, and Remus kept glancing sideways at James as he spoke. Lily then looked back at James. "You better not have set up some elaborate prank," she said sternly, and he raised his eyebrows.

"We didn't." He replied. And it was the truth, even if she didn't believe him. It was more of a...celebration of sorts. He glanced at his watch again. "Three minutes."

Ginny was glancing in between the three Marauders with amusement. "What do you think they're planning?" she asked Harry quietly, laying her head on his shoulder.

Harry's chest rumbled as he chuckled. "I think they've already planned and set up an elaborate display to go off at midnight," he murmured in her ear. "Dad is obviously ringleader, because he keeps counting down and Remus keeps looking at him. They're all completely distracted. Whatever they have planned, however, won't be bad or derogatory because Mum will kill Dad."

Ginny nodded slowly and giggled. "She's suspicious," she said quietly.

"Thirty second countdown!" James exclaimed, pulling Lily closer to him with one arm and reaching for his wand, which was next to his leg on the chair. When she started to turn her head towards his wand hand, he grabbed her chin and turned her to face him. "You're not going to make me miss my New Year's kiss, are you?" he asked teasingly.

Celeste wrapped her arms around Sirius' neck, scooted as close as possible to him and he tangled one hand in her hair, pushed on her neck so her face was close to his and kissed up her jawline. With his other hand, he grabbed his wand, which was up his sleeve, and put his arm around her back so his wand was pointing at the window.

Remus tugged Katie closer to him, and she giggled when he pressed his lips to her cheek. He took her hand in one of his own, holding it to his chest, and took hold of his wand with his other hand, holding it against his stomach so it, too, was pointed out the window.

"Ten!" James suddenly exclaimed.

Jose grabbed Kacey's waist and tickled her lightly, causing her to yelp and hit him on the chest. He merely laughed and pulled her closer.

"Nine!"

Sirius pulled away from Celeste long enough to yell and she laughed at him.

"Eight!"

Draco put his hand on Sarah's cheek and grinned at her. She grinned back and bumped her nose with his.

"Seven!"

Remus leaned his forehead against Katie's and she whispered, "I'm onto you."

"Six!"

Joe pulled Kathy closer and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Five!"

James and Sirius murmured something in unison and somewhere in the castle, fifty fuzes went bright with fire.

"Four!"

Lily narrowed her eyes at James and muttered, "What did you just do?"

"Three!"

Harry slid his hand to the back of Ginny's neck and tilted her head so she was centimeters from him.

"Two!"

Remus merely smirked at Katie and murmured something, moving his hand slightly against her back to complete the spell.

"One!"

James grinned at Lily, pulling her closer. "You'll see."

"HAPPY NEW YEAR!"

Every boyfriend kissed their girlfriend on the lips almost simultaneously and suddenly, there was an explosion. Or several. Lily was the first to break away, whipping her head towards the sound. She gasped when her eyes landed on the window.

Hermione jumped and pulled away from Ron, staring up at the sky. "Oh, Merlin," she whispered, looking up as the fireworks exploded across the night.

Ron laughed. "I think they're better than the twins' were," he muttered, wrapping an arm around Hermione's waist. "Happy New Year, 'Mione."

Hermione leaned her head on Ron's shoulder. "Happy New Year."

"Oh my god," Lily breathed, glancing back at James to see the satisfied smirk on his face. "They're amazing." she said with a smile.

The fireworks exploding across the sky were in a myriad of colors. James, Sirius, and Remus had made sure to cover every single color of fireworks made. Some formed fiery pictures in the sky that left a momentary imprint across the night, while others only looked like Muggle fireworks, and popped and crackled, crossing each other and hitting each other with mini explosions and new colors.

Sirius was laughing, a grin on his face and Remus was grinning also.

"Let's go outside and see them!" Katie exclaimed, pulling on Remus' hand.

He laughed and shook his head. "You don't want to go out there quite yet," he said in a low voice. "Give it five minutes. The fireworks last twenty."

"And why should we give it five minutes?" Lily asked, hand on her hip.

"The statues are celebrating, too, Lily." Sirius said, rolling his eyes as if it were obvious. "Give them two minutes to stop shooting confetti cannons and another two to let the stuff settle."

Lily stared at him before finally rolling her eyes. "You're all crazy." She said firmly. "Completely insane."

James laughed and hooked an arm around her waist. "But that's why you love us," he grinned.

"I say we just stay in," Kacey said, staring out the window and holding onto Jose's hand. "We can see them well enough from here, and it's freezing out."

"I agree," Sarah said, still sharing a chair with Draco. They could see the fireworks perfectly from where they were sitting.

"Well..." Harry said quietly, "this has been a great year. I got to meet you guys, I proposed to my girlfriend..." Ginny beamed and Harry wrapped an arm around her.

"I agree." James said. "Well, no proposal yet, but I'm glad I got to meet you. Lily was saying earlier that she's glad she got to see you happy. You've turned out to be a wonderful man," he said, nodding at Harry.

Harry nodded back. "Thanks. It means a lot to hear you say that."

Kacey smiled. "I'm glad I got to know what you were like when you were younger," she said to Joe and Kathy. "It's really cool to see how you evolved into the person you are today."

"And I'm glad we know that you two grow up to be wonderful women." Kathy said with a smile. "We've only known you for a week, but already I can tell."

Sarah sighed. "Do you think, when we go back, it will be the same day we left? Or will time have gone on?"

Before anyone could answer, the Portrait Hole burst open and Ron dragged Hermione in. Their cheeks were flushed, they had snow and confetti in their hair, and both were grinning from ear to ear.

Hermione looked around at everyone, bouncing in excitement. "Guess what?" she asked, barely able to contain herself.

Ginny looked between her brother and his girlfriend. The way the wheels seemed to be turning in her head reminded Harry of Hermione for a moment, and Ginny's gasp only made him shake his head. "Ron!" Ginny exclaimed.

"What?" Ron asked with a grin.

Hermione's smile got wider, if possible, and she held out her hand. "Does this answer your question, Ginny?"

Ginny squealed and lunged forward, throwing her arms around the newly engaged couple. Ron laughed and hugged his sister. "Congratulations!" she squeaked. When she allowed Ron and Hermione to break from her embrace, Kacey and Sarah were next to congratulate the two. They jumped forward and hugged the couple at the same time, causing Hermione to laugh and squeeze them tight. Harry slapped Ron on the back.

"How long did it take you to get up the nerve?" he asked with a grin.

Ron grinned back. "I'd been deliberating all night as to whether I should ask her to go on a walk or not. Then it started snowing, and I thought, just go for it. And it was perfect. She said yes right before the fireworks went off." At this, he looked over to where the grinning Marauders were standing. "Nice fireworks, by the way. And the confetti? Wicked."

Remus just shook his head, and James and Sirius immediately faked innocence. "Excuse me?" Sirius said, "Who says we did it?"

Ron just rolled his eyes. "The only people I know who can pull of fireworks as good as those are my twin brothers, and they're pranksters. So, the only people who can pull off fireworks that good are pranksters, and you fit the bill."

James sighed. "You caught us." The rest laughed.

"Well..." Sarah said with a grin. "This has been a pretty good night to ring in the new year."

Everyone laughed and agreed.

New Years Day turned out to be a relaxing day. The Marauders and the time travelers were lounging around the Head Common Room, talking about anything and everything. The girls had gushed over Ron's proposal and everyone had laughed when James told of how Lily had demanded to know what was planned the night before. It was then that last nights unanswered question was brought up again.

"Do you think, when we go back, it will be the same day we left? Or will time have gone on?" Ginny asked it this time, leaning her head on Harry's shoulder.

"I think, because we've been gone for so long, that time will have gone on as well," Kacey said slowly. "I mean, we can't be in limbo forever."

Hermione thought about that. "But at the same time, us being gone for months changes the future. The whole point of time travel is to be able to achieve your goals without changing the future. Us disappearing for nearly a year would change the future."

"Yes..." Ginny said slowly, "but that future hasn't been written yet. Technically, this has already happened in our time, so anything we've changed, or made happen, wouldn't be any different from how we remember it."

Hermione nodded. "Yes, that does make sense..." she trailed off and Harry spoke.

"Why do you think we were sent back?" He asked dully. "Our world could be falling apart right now."

Draco snorted from the couch across from him. "Not everything revolves around you, Harry."

Sarah grabbed his hand. "Stop it, Draco. You know as well as I do that it's very possible for this to be a plan to get Harry out of the way for a while. The wizarding world is still rebuilding itself."

Ginny cleared her throat, stopping whatever Sarah was going to say next. "I think this reeks of Fred and George," she said mildly, observing her nails. "It must have been something they planned before Fred was killed. Maybe they only planned to use it after Voldemort was dead."

Everyone looked at her. "You think this is a prank?" Ron asked incredulously. "Why would they do this? If they were to do something like this, they'd send us to...a cursed tomb in ancient Egypt or something."

Ginny rolled her eyes. "I think they meant to give something back to Harry. And George had no guarantee of which seat he would take at the table during the dance, so he just sent our whole table. When you think about it, this has just enough prank and thought into it as Fred and George would put. Harry did fund them, you know. He may own one third of the store, but they still owe him, because Harry doesn't need the money. One thing Harry wanted more than anything, however, was to know his parents."

The room was silent for a moment, before Harry spoke softly. "I am right here, you know. But, you're right. It has the scent of a prank because we were sent back in the middle of a ball, and probably looked like fools when we landed here. And though I told them not to worry about it, that owning part of the store is enough, they still insist that they owe me."

"What do they owe you for?" James suddenly spoke up. No one from the past had said anything until this point.

"I gave them money to jump-start their joke shop."

Sirius raised his eyebrows. "How much did you give them?"

"Fifty thousand Galleons," Harry said asently, ignoring the effect of his words on the people from the past. He looked over at Hermione and Ron. "Hopefully Ginny's right, and this is Fred and George's doing. If something goes wrong...I don't know what I'll do."

"If something goes wrong, _we'll_ overcome it," Kacey said fimly. "You won't be stuck doing anything alone."

Harry sighed. "Thanks, guys."

The room descended into silence as they all thought of the different possibilities for why they were sent here.


	19. Chapter 18: Love and Snow in the Air

Chapter 18: Love and Snow in the Air

It was a cold January morning when Lily woke up to see the grounds of Hogwarts covered in snow. Most of the time, Lily was a fairly calm and rational girl. But when she saw snow, all bets were off. She threw open the curtains in her room, rousing the time travelers from their slumber, and ran to James room, throwing open the curtains in there too. Less eyes shot open in this room, but there were more grumbles about the early hour. Giggling to herself, she jumped on top of James, who swore and sat up so fast, he almost threw her off the bed.

"Lily?" He asked hoarsely, squinting at her. In his view, she seemed bright and blinding, surrounded by the light coming through the windows.

"It's snowing!" She said excitedly, bouncing on his legs.

James groaned and lay back, shutting his eyes. Lily just smiled, jumped off of him and pulled the covers off of him, then clapped her hands loudly.

"Come on everyone, snow ball fight!" When nobody moved, she scowled and yelled, "Breakfast in the common room for everyone who gets up in the next five minutes!"

The most audible response was Ron's groan of, "Did someone say breakfast?"

Lily sighed in relief. If Ron was up, the other boys wouldn't be long after him. "Yes, now get up, you lazy arses!" She left their room and waved her wand at the common area, summoning muffins, fruit, and juice for everyone to eat before their snowball fight. Then she went back to the girls room. They were all sitting up, save Ginny, and Lily sighed, pulling the blankets off her in the same manner she had James'. It didn't take long for her to sit up, too.

Twenty minutes later, the large group was buttoning up their cloaks and getting ready to go outside. Ron had been the first one out of his room(besides Lily), which would normally be a surprise, but when food was dangled in front of his face, he tended to get moving a lot faster. And he had first pick of everything, so he was on his second helping by the time everyone else had joined him. Now, the girls were bundled up in yoga pants, leggings and designer cloaks, all water resistant, and the boys in heavy winter cloaks and snow pants. They, however, had decided to forego the water resistant charms, claiming that in this boys vs. girls snowball fight, they would have no need of them. What they didn't anticipate, was that Kacey and Sarah were the snowball fight queens of their neighborhood at home, and that Ginny, growing up with six brothers, was also talented when it came to snowball fights.

The group from the Head Dorms had been outside for ten minutes, when Sirius, Remus, Peter, Celeste, Katie, and James joined them. The addition of the last three Marauders to the boys team gave them a bit of an edge, but there were no guarantees.

Draco had a little bit of trouble getting into the fight at first, Sarah assumed it was because his childhood wasn't exactly "fun", but after she had managed to hit him in the chest and face with more than one snowball, he had begun a personal vendetta against her, which soon included the other girls too. Soon he was running around with the rest of them, a grin on his face, and several snowballs in his arms.

Ginny and Sarah met up behind their snow fort, trying to rebuild their snowball artillery.

"Draco seems like he's having fun," Ginny said with a sly look at her friend.

Sarah got a dreamy look on her face. "Yeah...it took me a little while to loosen him up, but he's into it now."

Ginny laughed and waved a hand in front of her face. "Hey, there. We're doing a job here, remember."

Sarah rolled her eyes.

"How are things, though, seriously?" Ginny asked.

Sarah grinned. "Things are great. I know he had a lot of trouble in the past and during the war, but he's really a good guy."

Ginny grinned back. "I'm happy for you. I'm happy for him, too. He seems a lot lighter these days, and I think that's mostly because of you." She winked and grabbed an armful of snowballs. "I gotta go. Sirius hit me and claimed that I couldn't get as good of a hit on him. I have to prove him wrong."

Sarah laughed. "Go, Ginny!" She exclaimed. She grabbed a couple of snowballs for herself, and ran out from behind the fort, ready to join the fray once again. She was coming up to a tree, and considering hiding behind it, when someone appeared from the other side of it and knocked into her, the impact slamming her down into the snowy ground.

"Gotcha." Draco said with a grin from his position on top of her. He kissed her nose and looked at her suspisciously. "You weren't talking about me with Weaslette, were you?"

Sarah rested her hand on the back of his neck, holding him on top of her, and grinned at him. "It was only good things, I assure you."

He smiled back. "Good," He said quietly, before leaning down and meeting her lips with his. Without warning her other hand came down on his head-filled with snow. He yanked his head back to look into her laughing face indignantly. "Hey!" He exclaimed. "I'm gonna get you for that!"

Without hesitation, he pulled his gloves off and slipped his hands under her jacket to the sides of her stomach, tickling her. She immediately lost it, laughing hysterically and begging him to stop.

"Stop!" She squealed. "Draco, please!" He only stopped when she dragged his head to hers and kissed him, distracting him efficiently. When they finally had to pull apart for air, he rested his forehead against hers. "You know what I want right now?" She murmured, her hand still resting on the back of his neck.

"What?" He asked, smiling at her.

"Hot chocolate. With whipped cream." She licked her lips and Draco groaned.

Then he looked down at her a little weirdly. "I've actually never had hot chocolate."

Sarah looked horrified. "Get up!" she exclaimed. "We have to fix this immediately. I can't be with someone who has never had hot chocolate!"

Draco looked skeptical. "Is it really that great?"

Sarah looked at him like he was insane, then pushed on his shoulders. "Come on, you. We have to go to the kitchens!"

Draco got to his feet and held out his hand, which she took, and he pulled her to her feet. They ran across the grounds to avoid getting hit by any stray snowballs and only stopped to walk once they made it inside.

The minute they entered the kitchens, a half a dozen house elves surrounded them, all begging for something to do. Sarah grinned. "Two mugs of hot chocolate with whipped cream and marshmallows, please!" She said happily. She pulled Draco to a table, and a second after they sat down, their mugs of hot cocoa were placed in front of them.

"Be careful, Miss and Mister. The drinks are hot."

"Thank you," Sarah smiled at the elf, and turned to Draco. "Okay," she said seriously. "Now, you have to blow on it, otherwise you'll burn your tongue off. Try some!" she encouraged. Without hesitation, she lifted the mug to her lips and blew on it, before taking a sip. Draco did the same, savoring the chocolatey taste. She grinned at him after he tried it. "Well?"

Draco chuckled and shook his head at her, reaching his hand out to wipe off the whipped cream mustache on her upper lip with his thumb, which he brought to his mouth and licked off. "Delicious," he proclaimed, leaning forward to kiss Sarah.

When he pulled away, they stared into each others eyes for a long moment before he seemed to nod to himself and bring his hand up to her cheek. "I love you," he whispered, rubbing his thumb along her lips.

A breathtaking smile lit up her face. "I love you, too," she murmured back, leaning in to kiss him once more. Draco brought his other hand up to frame her face and Sarah hooked her hands behind his neck and they deepened the kiss. They were so engrossed in each other, they didn't hear the portrait open, or the two people who walked in laughing and immediately went silent upon the scene in the kitchen.

The girl looked at her fiance and winked, before they walked to the table the couple was sitting at.

"Well, this is not normally the place I would reccomend for such lovey-dovey behavior," Jose drawled.

Draco tried to jump away from Sarah, but she held him to her and made him finish the kiss before allowing him to pull away and turn to face Kacey and Jose.

"We were just enjoying some hot chocolate," Sarah said, slightly primly and slightly defensively.

Jose smirked. "I'm not sure the reccomended technique for drinking it is licking it off the inside of someone elses mouth, but to each their own."

Kacey smirked and Sarah's cheeks flooded red. Kacey walked around the table and grabbed Sarah's hand. "If you'll excuse us, I believe I need to talk to my sister." She had not missed the silly grin on Sarah's face, nor the elated look in her eyes. The girls moved to the other end of the table and immediately leaned towards eachother, talking in fast whispers.

Jose sat across from Draco and raised his eyesbrows at the boy. "Uh oh, man, looks like trouble."

Draco simply raised one eyebrow in return, then glanced at his girlfriend, whose smile was the widest he'd ever seen on her face. "I don't think so," he said, a glint in his eyes as though he knew something Jose didn't. He did, of course.

When Kacey squealed from the other end of the table and threw her arms around her sister, his statement was confirmed.

Jose looked at Draco. "What did you do?"

Draco shrugged and met Jose's eyes. "I may have told her the one thing every girl wants to hear..." he trailed off and let his eyes rest back on Sarah, who was still chatting happily with her sister. "...which is also the one thing I've only ever said to my mother," he finished quietly.

Jose nodded. "You told her you loved her?" he asked, a soft look in his eyes as he, too, looked at his significant other. When Draco nodded, he smiled. "Make sure you tell her that she's the second person you've ever said that to."

Draco nodded again. "I will. She deserves to know that she's the most special person in my life."


	20. Chapter 19: Valentine's Day

Chapter 19: Valentine's Day

The morning of February fourteenth found the girls getting ready for their Valentine's Day Hogsmeade trip. None of their dates' had told them where they were going, so they dressed fairly simply for the most part, in jeans and pretty shirts. When they came out, buttoning up their cloaks, the boys were sitting on the couches in the Common Room talking in hushed voices. They abruptly stopped talking when Draco sat straight up in his seat with a smooth, "Hello, ladies." All the guys turned around with grins on their faces.

"Hapy Valentines Day!"

The large group split up into couples and started walking down to Hogsmeade. Once they actually reached High Street, they split off even more and went their separate ways.

James and Lily holed up in a corner booth at the Three Broomsticks and had lunch. They laughed and talked and had a good time, especially once James ordered a milkshake that they shared. They tended to end up kissing more than drinking it, though, because they "went for the straw at the same time." James claims it's just accidental. Lily's not so sure, but she likes kissing James, so she's not complaining.

After lunch, they went for a walk around Hogsmeade. They started to head towards the Shrieking Shack, but James stopped at a bench just around the corner in the path, out of sight of the rest of the town.

"Let's just sit for a minute," He sat, watching Lily, "I want to give you something."

Lily smiled, her cheeks growing red. "You didn't have to get me anything," she protested, but took his hand and sat beside him anyway.

"I wanted to." James said, smiling slightly. "Besides, this didn't cost me anything." He handed her a flat red velvet box.

Lily looked up at him, and then down at the box for a moment, before slowly lifting the lid. When she saw what was inside, she gasped. "James! This isn't-" she broke off and swallowed, tears in her eyes.

"No," James said softly, slipping the box out of her hands. "It's not a proposal. Not yet. This is my family ring. I put it on a chain for you. I want you to have it, as a promise of sorts, that one day I will be proposing." He brushed a thumb across her cheek. "I want everyone to know you're mine. Will you wear it?" For the confidence James always portrayed, he looked quite nervous now.

Lily smiled and lifted up her hair. "Of course I'll wear it, James."

James grinned and reached around to the nape of her neck, clasping the necklace and letting it settle onto her chest. Then he brushed his thumb across the ring where it lay. "Perfect." He proclaimed.

Further perfecting the moment, Lily leaned over and kissed him.

Harry took Ginny to lunch at the Hog's Head. He had sent a letter to Aberforth Dumbledore the week before requesting a private room so he could have a romantic meal with his fiance. He made preparations so their food would magically appear when he said the word, therefore no one interupted their cozy little meal. After they finished the main course, Harry grinned at Ginny and beckoned her over.

When she stood and walked over to him questioningly, he caught her around the waist and pulled her onto his lap. "I got you something," he breathed into her ear.

Ginny wrapped an arm around his neck to stay balanced on his lap and kissed him smack on the lips. "Oh, did you?" she asked coyly.

Harry grinned and kissed her on the nose. "I did." He pulled a long black box out of his pocket and placed it in her hands.

Ginny glanced up at him before opening the box and sucking in her breath. Inside was a stirling silver charm bracelet. It looked delicate, but she could tell it was sturdy. There was a single charm on it-a silver plate in the shape of a heart. It was engraved with the words: "I love you. -H.J.P." Without hesitation, Ginny tilted her head up and met Harry's lips with hers in a sweet kiss. When she pulled away, she looked into his eyes for a long moment. "Thank you," she said sincerely. "I love you, too." She looked back down at the bracelet. "Put it on me?" She asked.

Harry grinned and gently took her wrist, clasping the bracelet around it and adjusting it so he could see the charm. "Ready for dessert?" He asked, pressing a kiss to Ginny's neck.

Ginny giggled. "Definitely." A chocolate brownie sundae appeared on the table in front of them, and by the time they finished their dessert, their faces were covered in chocolate and they were crying from laughter after they had attempted to feed each other several times.

After cleaning themselves up, Ginny grinned at Harry when he asked what she wanted to do next. "Well...you can help me pick out a few new dresses," She said, and Harry would never admit it, but he thought his girlfriend sounded quite evil when she said those words.

But he sighed and nodded-after all, Harry Potter was whipped.

Ron and Hermione also dined at the Hog's Head, though not in as romantic a setting as Harry and Ginny. They sat in the main restaurant at a table against the wall and spent most of their lunch staring dreamily into each others eyes. They talked occasionally as they ate and Ron leaned over quite often to kiss Hermione when she was in the middle of a sentence. Normally, this would annoy Hermione to no end, but it was Valentine's Day, and she was in sort of a sappy mood.

When they finished eating, and were about to leave the restaurant, Ron dragged his chair around to place it next to Hermione's and pulled a red velvet bag out of his pocket, handing it to a pleasantly surprised Hermione. "For you, love. Happy Valentine's Day."

Hermione smiled and kissed him on the cheek before pulling the bag open and reaching inside. She pulled the contents out and a soft smile formed on her face. In her hand, she held a thin silver cuff bracelet, with the words: "Ron loves Hermione" and a little heart engraved in it. She looked up at him with tears in her eyes. "I love it." She kissed him. "I love you." She kissed him again, and when they finally pulled apart, Ron grinned at her.

"I love you, too."

"Now," Hermione said happily, slipping the bracelet onto her wrist and admiring it. "I was thinking we could go to Honeydukes. We can spend some time together tonight in front of the fire and gorge ourselves on chocolate," she said, grinning.

Ron grinned back, and kissed her again. "Sounds like my kind of night," he said, pulling her to her feet. They left the restaurant hand in hand.

"So?" Kacey asked excitedly, "Where are we going?"

"It's a surprise," Jose said, kissing her on the cheek.

Kacey sighed. "I'm impatient. I don't like surprises."

Jose laughed. "Well, bear with me here. We're almost there." He led her a little farther down the street and stopped abruptly, pulling her inside Madame Puddifoot's.

Kacey grinned and kissed Jose on the cheek. "How did you know I wanted to go here?"

Jose laughed as he led her to a table in the corner. "You're Kacey Coelho. Of course you wanted to go here. And," He said, standing up straight and arrogantly straightening his collar. "I'm your fiance. I know everything about you."

Kacey laughed and grabbed his hand. "Sit down, you." He sat across from her, and a few moments later they had cups of tea and a plate of pastries in front of them. They spent lunch talking about their upcoming wedding, occasionaly stealing kisses from one another.

When they finished eating, Jose suggested they go for a walk, and they ambled slowly along, holding hands, until they ended up outside the Shrieking Shack. Jose jumped up to sit on the fence and pulled Kacey closer so she stood in between his legs.

"I, my love, have a Valentine's present for you." He said, leaning forward and giving her a quick kiss.

"Really?" Kacey grinned. "What is it?"

Jose grinned back and pulled a square silver box out of his pocket. "You'll have to open it and see."

Grinning, Kacey pulled the lid off the box and gasped when she saw what was inside. It was a silver bracelet, designed so that there was a thin silver plate attached to a chain. On the silver plate were the words: "Jose and Kacey Forever".

Kacey leaned up and kissed Jose in thanks. When she pulled away she handed the box back to him. "Will you put it on me?" She asked with a smile.

Jose grinned and nodded, taking her wrist and attaching the bracelet. "It looks beautiful." He said, smiling.

"Thank you," Kacey said, leaning forward and kissing him again.

Draco brought Sarah to the Hog's Head for lunch and led her to a booth in the corner. When he went to sit across from her, she dragged him down to slide in next to her and leaned into him while they decided what to eat.

"Normally," Draco said quietly in her ear, "I would bring you somewhere much nicer than this, but considering we're twenty-five years in the past, I don't know the places as well as I do in our time."

Sarah grinned and went to say something, but they had to order first. Once they ordered lunch, Sarah leaned up and kissed him on the cheek. "I don't really care where we are," she said with a smile, "as long as I'm with you."

Draco's eyes softened and he kissed her lightly. As they ate, they talked about almost everything. Sarah's fear had always been that they would one day run out of things to say, but after several months together, she found it was not the case. After they finished sharing an ice cream sundae, Draco handed her a thick envelope made of nice parchment.

Sarah looked at him questioningly. "What's this?" she asked, giving him a look.

Draco's eyes twinkled as he winked at her. "Open it and see."

Sarah glanced up at him one more time before opening the envelope and pulling out a thick green parchment card. She read it aloud. "To the beautiful Sarah Rose Coelho, you are invited to attend a private dinner in the room of requirement at six o'clock. Dress your best. With love, Draco Abraxus Malfoy. P.S. I love you." When she finished, she looked up at Draco with a large smile and, sliding her hand to the back of his neck, kissed him hard. When she pulled away, she smiled at him, and he grinned back. "I'll be there," she whispered. Then she smiled, with a sort of evil smile reminiscent of Ginny's. "I have to buy shoes," she said, looking at him seriously. "Come with me. You can help me pick them out."

Draco raised an eyebrow. "When it comes to shoes, I'm positive anything you pick out will be perfect and sexy as hell," he said, whispering the last three words in a husky voice.

Sarah laughed. "Come anyway. I want to spend this day with you." She pushed on his shoulder lightly and he got up with a sigh and a roll of his eyes, holding his hand out for her.

He would never admit it to anyone, but he actually had fun shopping with her...even though she ended up refusing to let him see what shoes she bought.

Remus took Katie to the Three Broomsticks. They managed to land themselves a cozy corner booth and slid in next to each other. After a debate over whether or not to eat lunch or sweets, they ordered butterbeers and a plate of cookies. They ate their way through the plate , with Remus eating double the amount of cookies that Katie did. When he picked up his fifth double chocolate chip cookie, Katie gave him an amazed look.

"You're still hungry?" she asked, incredulously.

Remus' cheeks went red and he cleared his throat. "Well," he said slowly. "I tend to have a bigger appetite than normal people my age. You just never noticed because I'm not a disgusting eater like Sirius is."

Katie thought a moment. "I suppose you're right. And I'm also going to guess that you have a huge sweet tooth," she said, amused.

"Sweets give me energy and then, when it's time to go to bed, I crash, which is a good thing." He paused and glanced at Katie warily, as if wondering whether or not to continue, then he lowered his voice. "When it gets closer to the full moon, I have a tendency to take on the wolfs schedule, which means I tend to stay up late. Like I said, the sweets take me on a sugar rush, and then I crash, and am hopefully able to sleep at a normal hour." He glanced at Katie to see how she reacted to his confession, and saw that she was smiling slightly at him.

Without warning, she leaned over and kissed him. "Thank you for telling me," she said quietly. "I know it must be hard for you to open up to someone other than James, Sirius, and Peter about your..." she paused a moment, "what did Sirius call it the other day? Your furry little problem?" She asked, puzzled.

Remus laughed and swung his arm around Katie's shoulders, pulling her close to him and kissing her temple. "Yes." He said, still chuckling. "That's what Sirius and James call it."

Katie grinned. "I like it," she said.

Remus laughed and kissed her again. "Let's talk about something different." he said, still smiling. "I'm glad you took that conversation so well, because I have a gift for you."

Katie's eyes lit up. "A gift?" she asked, grinning. "What kind of gift?"

Remus looked at her shyly and pulled a small white cardboard box out of his pocket. "Happy Valentine's Day," he said, appearing a little nervous when she took the box from his hands.

Katie smiled at him and then pulled the cover off the box. When she saw what was inside, she sucked in her breath and tears came to her eyes. "Oh, Remus," she said quietly, staring at the necklace inside the box. The charm was hanging on a thin gold chain. It was the gold outline of a heart, with the rotating form of a wolf howling at the moon in the middle. Holding tight to the necklace, she threw her arms around Remus. "I love you so much," she whispered, and Remus stiffened slightly in shock before returning her hug, holding her tightly.

"I love you, too, Katie," he whispered back, his voice cracking slightly.

She pulled away and rested her hand on his cheek. "I just want you to know, that this necklace means the world to me. It's a symbol of the fact that you finally let me in all the way and it makes me feel like the most special girl in the world."

Remus smiled, leaning into her hand. "You are the most special girl in the world." Without a word, she handed him the necklace and he clasped it around her neck. When she turned back around, he said, "It means the world to me that you'll wear it," and then he kissed her.

When he pulled away, she smiled at him for a long moment and then grabbed his hand. "Let's go to Honeydukes."

"Why Honeydukes?" He asked with a grin, standing up and pulling her up with him.

"Because," she answered matter-of-factly, "Friday's the full moon and we'll need lots of candy to last the upcoming week of sugar rushes."

Without hesitation, Remus slid his arm around her waist, placed his hand behind her neck and pulled her in for a kiss that left her breathless. When he pulled away, they stared into each others eyes for a long moment, before Remus smiled and nodded. "To Honeydukes it is," he said, pulling her close to him.

Sirius had done the same thing Harry had for a table, only he had owled Madame Puddifoot, not Aberforth Dumbledore. When Sirius opened the door to their private room for Celeste, they entered a cozy little space with a large, comfortable red couch and a coffee table in front of it. The coffee table was covered in pastries and had a gaudy tea set in the center of it.

Sirius, rebel that he is, pulled a flask of firewhiskey out of his pocket, with which he spiked their cups of tea before pulling Celeste into his lap. "Happy Valentine's Day, babe," he said, kissing her on the neck, and she giggled.

"Happy Valentine's Day to you, too, honey." They drank their tea and ate quite a few pastries, feeding them to each other and kissing each other as they did.

It may not have seemed romantic, but it was what they wanted to be doing.

When they finished eating and Sirius was on his back on the couch with Celeste lying half on top of him, he stroked her hair back from her face. "I do have something for you, you know," he said quietly, rubbing his thumb over her lips.

Celeste smiled. "Really?" she asked, slightly coyly.

"Yeah," Sirius replied, reaching in his pocket and pulling out a flat navy blue jewelry box. "Go on. Open it."

She flipped open the box and gasped at the set of jewelry inside. It was gold-based and studded with rubies. There was a necklace with a ruby pendant of sorts in the shape of a heart. The earrings were teardrop style with heart-shaped rubies, and the bracelet was made of rubies in tennis style.

Celeste looked at Sirius with tears in her eyes. "I love it, Sirius. I can't wait to wear it." She kissed him, and then pulled away to stare at the jewelry a little more. She brushed her fingers over the pendant, and sighed. "This is the nicest thing anyone's ever given me."

Sirius kissed her on the cheek and grinned. "I'm glad," he said smartly. "If I found out any other guy was giving you stuff like this, I'd have to kill them."

Celeste laughed, as was his intention, and he smirked. "What do you say we head back to Hogwarts and sit by the lake?" Celeste asked quietly. "We don't need to be in Hogsmeade to have the perfect Valentine's Day."

Sirius nodded, dragging himself and Celeste to their feet. "Sounds like a plan to me. Let's go, baby."

Celeste smiled and tucked herself under his arm as they made their way down High Street.

Sarah left the Head Dorm in a little black dress with a sequined top and red high heels at quarter to six. Kacey grinned and winked at her as she left, giving her a thumbs up. She walked slowly, not wanting to be too early, but not wanting to be late either.

When she reached the room, she walked in front of the door a few times, thinking _I have a date with Draco_. The door appeared almost immediately. Smiling to herself, she reached forward and pushed it open, gasping when she saw the inside of the room. It was probably the smallest she'd seen it, but it was perfect. There was a couch against one wall, and on the other side of the room, there was a small round table set for two with candles surrounding it. Draco was standing next to one of the chairs looking very handsome in a black dress shirt and pants with a red tie.

He smiled the moment Sarah walked into the room and stepped forward to meet her, kissing her softly. "Hello," he said as he pulled away.

"Hi," she said with a wide smile. "I love the candles."

Draco grinned. "I love you."

Sarah laughed, "and I love you, too."

He looked her up and down, eyes widening when he saw her shoes. "And I love the shoes, too. Are these the babies you wouldn't let me see today?"

She grinned. "They are."

He smiled and held out his hand to her. "Right this way, my beautiful lady."

Sarah curtsied lightly and took his hand. "As you say, kind sir."

Draco led her to the table and pulled out her chair. With a smile, she sat and he pushed her in. Then he moved around to take his seat, and knocked on the table twice.

A little house elf appeared with a _CRACK!_ "Young Mister and Miss, the appetizer of the evening," the little elf spoke in a high voice, bowing low as he snapped his fingers, conjuring a tray of delicious smelling food immediately. He placed the food on the table, bowed low, told them to enjoy it, and left them.

They took their time enjoying the appetizers and the main course, which the elf brought out when the appetizers were finished. Laughing, they spoke of their times at school, telling stories of when their friends got into trouble. They also told of their families. Though Draco's funny stories about that were much fewer than Sarah's, the humor level more than made up for the lack of them. Most of Draco's stories involved his father getting humiliated in one way or another in Muggle London on his way to certain functions held outside the wizarding world. Sarah's stories often included adventurous treks she and her sister had made and pranks they had played on their brother, his friends, and their parents. They kept talking for a little while after they finished the main course, and then Draco paused.

"Do you want dessert? I asked them to make something special for you. They were delighted."

Sarah grinned. "I love dessert. I'm addicted to sugar, of course I'd love a special treat!"

Draco smiled. "Very well." He knocked on the table four times. The house elf appeared holding a tray with two covered dishes on it. With a snap of its fingers, the dishes floated, still covered, to land in front of Draco and Sarah. While Sarah was looking at hers curiously, Draco glanced at the house elf, who winked. When she lifted up the cover on the dish, her eyes widened and she sat up straight in her chair. With a surprised look on her face, she reached forward and picked up the small velvet black box, popping it open slowly. She gasped and put the cover to the tray down.

When she looked up at Draco, he was on one knee in front of her chair. "We haven't know each other all that long," he said, taking her hands in his. "But I feel like I've known you forever. You came into my life and brought light and excitement and enthusiasm for the littlest things, and that's one of my favorite things about you. But most of all, you taught me how to love. Before you, the only person who'd ever said they loved me was my mother, and that wasn't very often. You showed me that I can be myself and be loved for it, and you showed me that I can love whole-heartedly. You showed me that I don't have to hide a part of myself because you might not approve of it, and because of that, you are the most special person in my life and the one I want to spend the rest of it with. Sarah Rose Coelho, it doesn't have to be now, it doesn't have to be a month from now, or a year from now, but will you pledge to keep loving me forever? Will you marry me?"

By the time he finally spoke the question, Sarah had tears and mascara dripping down her face. She bit her lip and nodded vigorously. "Yes, Draco, yes, I'll marry you," she said through her tears.

Slowly, with deliberation, Draco pulled the ring from the box and slid it on her finger. She dropped to her knees in front of him and kissed him passionately, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck. When she pulled away, she hugged him tight. "I love you so much," she whispered, "I'll love you forever."

A few hours later, Draco glanced at his watch and his eyes widened. "We should probably head back, love," he murmured, kissing the top of Sarah's head.

Sarah snuggled closer to him on the couch and shook her head into his chest. "I don't want to," she whispered. "Can't we just stay here?"

Draco chuckled. "If we wait too much longer to go back, everyone will probably start to get worried."

Sarah sighed, knowing he was right. Slowly, she sat up and got to her feet, reaching for her shoes. Draco stood as well and picked up his jacket from the back of his chair. When he turned back around, Sarah had her shoes on and was staring at her ring with a smile on her face.

He went over to her and took her hand, kissing the ring he had placed on her finger a few hours before.

"It's beautiful," she said, "I don't think I've told you that, yet. It's perfect, actually."

Draco smiled, "I'm glad." They started walking towards the door. "Ready to get back to the real world?"

Sarah grimaced, "Not really."

Draco nudged her lightly. "Well, we'll have to tell Kacey what happened sometime. She's only cornered me multiple times asking me when I was going to ask you."

Sarah looked sideways at him. "How did she know you were going to? You're not exactly the type to go for help picking out jewelry."

Draco snorted softly. "I know. The little snoop wouldn't let it rest when she saw me with the bag."

Sarah laughed. "That sounds like her. You should just consider yourself lucky that she never said anything to anyone else. She does not to how to keep a secret. She even has trouble keeping her own."

Draco nodded, considering that. "True," he mused, "There is that."

They reached the entrance to the Head Dorms and paused for a moment. Draco leaned over and kissed Sarah one last time, before pushing the door open and leading her inside.

As though an alarm had gone off, Kacey's head snapped up. She grinned. "So? How was it?"

Sarah smiled, blushing slightly. "Amazing," she said. "It was so romantic."

"I try," Draco murmured next to her.

Kacey got up and walked over to them. "Well? Did anything special happen?"

"No…" Draco said firmly, narrowing his eyes slightly at Kacey.

Sarah tried to stifle her giggle when Kacey looked extremely disappointed.

"Oh," she said, then smiled at Sarah, "Well, I'm glad you had fun." She started to turn away when Sarah took pity on her.

"Actually…" she said with a wide grin. Kacey paused and turned around slowly.

"Actually, what?" she asked, barely able to contain her impatience.

Sarah shrugged. "I just got engaged."

It took a moment for her words to stand out from the casual manner in which she said them, but when they did, Kacey screamed and threw her arms around her sister and Draco. Sarah started laughing, hugging her back and Draco stiffened slightly at first, but then returned the hug. Everyone else, brought to attention by the decibel of Kacey's scream, gathered around them, wondering what was going on until they saw Sarah showing off her ring to her sister. It was silver metal, with a large emerald-cut diamond in the middle, flanked by two smaller emerald-cut emeralds, and two more smaller emerald-cut diamonds. The girls all squealed and hugged Sarah and Draco, who seemed to be very shocked by the amount of "love" he was receiving.

When the girls had calmed down considerably, and the guys had all hugged Sarah and slapped Draco on the back, they all sat down around the Common Room.

"Congratulations, you guys," Ginny said with a grin. "I'm not sure if you got that message through our excitement." Everyone laughed.

"I'm pretty surprised that you proposed so soon, but I'm happy for you guys," Harry said with a smile.

Draco shrugged. "She's the one," he said simply.


	21. Chapter 20: Twin-time

Chapter 20: Twin-time

**A/N: Here's a birthday chapter! Enjoy and review please!**

**Disclaimer: Unfortunately, we don't own Harry Potter. **

When Kacey woke up the next morning, she stared at the ceiling for a moment before sitting straight up in bed with a big grin on her face. Looking around the room, her eyes narrowed suspiciously when she saw that she and a sleeping Sarah were the only ones in the room. She quickly moved across the room to Sarah's bed and shook her.

"Sarah, Sarah, wake up! Don't you realize what today is?"

Sarah groaned. "Kacey, what do you want?"

"I want you to get up," Kacey insisted, pulling Sarah's comforter off of her.

With a heavy sigh, Sarah sat up and wiped her eyes. "What is so important?"

"Everyone's gone except for us!"

"So?"

"Don't you think they could be planning something?"

Sarah sighed again. "And you couldn't have let me sleep for another hour before you tried to figure it out?"

Kacey rolled her eyes. "Since when have I ever been the type to wait?"

Sarah got to her feet. "Fine. Let's go investigate. But if there's nothing going on, I'm going to be so mad at you."

Kacey shrugged. "It's happened before."

They went to the door of the room and glanced at each other before slowly opening it. There was silence. "Kacey, I swear…" Sarah muttered, leaving the sentence open-ended.

Kacey just rolled her eyes and took Sarah's hand, dragging her out of the room and around the corner.

"SURPRISE!" All of the other time travelers and the Marauders were standing around the coffee table in the Common Room, grinning.

Confetti cannons went off and showered the twins in confetti. Sarah and Kacey started laughing, Sarah a bit reluctantly.

"Happy Birthday, you two!" Lily said excitedly, clapping her hands. "Come here, we have your favorite for breakfast: chocolate chip waffles and eggs Benedict! You can open your presents later."

Jose pulled Kacey down next to him and kissed her. "Happy birthday, honey bear," he said with a wide grin.

Draco walked over to Sarah and took her hand, leaning down to kiss it before using it to pull her closer and kiss her on the mouth. "Happy birthday, my lovely fiance of one day."

Sarah laughed and threw an arm around his neck, kissing him again before leading him to a chair so they could sit and eat.

"How long have you guys been planning this?" Kacey asked after they had all eaten in silence for a few minutes.

James shrugged. "A week or so. It wasn't that tough, we have most of the supplies on hand, the house elves in our pockets, and easy access to Hogsmeade, and in conjunction with that, the ability to Apparate anywhere. We went out in pairs to get certain things we needed and were mostly ready two nights ago."

Kacey narrowed her eyes. "You used the house elves?" she asked.

James sighed and rolled his eyes. "Look. They love doing what they do, they love taking care of us wizards, and the elves we used were mine, so I can tell you for a fact that they're treated well, they get time to rest, and they got a treat of their own out of this. We can't just go to the Hogwarts house elves for every birthday that we have every year. We'd most definitely get caught, and it's a golden Marauder rule: when possible, when there is another option after one seems too risky, do whatever you can not to get caught."

Lily rolled her eyes and tugged on James' earlobe. "My innocent boyfriend," she said wryly.

James grinned and turned his head to plant a smacking kiss on her cheek. "But you love me anyway," he exclaimed.

Lily sighed and put an arm around his neck, kissing the top of his head. "Only Merlin knows why," she muttered.

When everyone finished eating breakfast, Kacey clapped her hands and looked at the piles of presents on the coffee table. "Well, can we open presents now?"

Lily laughed. "Whenever you guys are ready."

Kacey grinned. "We're ready. We're _so_ ready. Right, Sarah?"

Sarah laughed and moved so she was sitting on the floor in front of Draco's chair. "We're ready, Kacey."

"I have graciously volunteered to hand out the presents," Sirius said as he stood up with a flourish. "I think we'll start with what you gave to each other."

He picked up two small boxes and handed them to their rightful recipients.

Kacey and Sarah looked at each other and grinned. "Ready?" Sarah asked.

Kacey nodded. "One…two…three!" With laughs, they both tore into the wrapping paper at the same time and seconds later, popped open the jewelry boxes they both received. "Oh, Sarah, I love it!" Kacey beamed at her sister and looked back down at the bracelet in the box. It was a thick bangle bracelet and she slowly pulled it out of the box. Her eyes widened when she saw the words engraved in the side. "Sarah and Kacey: we'll always be sisters no matter what our last names are," she read quietly. "Come here, you!" she said, reaching over and hugging her sister. "I love it."

Sarah grinned and looked down into her box. "I love mine, too." She slowly lifted up one of the earrings that was inside and grinned. It was a big emerald studded hoop. The girls all laughed, knowing about her obsession with earrings.

"I sort of guessed that Draco was going to propose, and I thought it could be your something new, for your wedding," Kacey said with an excited grin—weddings excited her more than anything else. Well, babies might have excited her more, but we'll leave that up to interpretation.

Sarah beamed back. "I absolutely would love them to be my something new."

Jose leaned forward and tapped Kacey on the shoulder. "I'd like to go next, if nobody minds." Everyone shook their heads and he leaned forward, handed Kacey a small box, and carefully pried a large square flat package from the pile of presents to hand to Sarah.

Kacey gave him a peculiar look. "You do realize that her present is about twenty times bigger than mine, right?" she asked, amused.

"That's right," Jose nodded. Then he winked. "I think yours will mean more in the long run, though."

Kacey rolled her eyes and pulled the ribbon off the box, slowly sliding the lid off. When she saw what was inside, she gasped. "Oh, Jose…I absolutely love it." He had gotten her a gold heart necklace studded with rubies.

Jose leaned over as she pulled it out of the box. "Open it up," he said. "It's a locket."

Carefully, Kacey opened the locket and beamed when she saw the picture of her and Jose inside. Glowing, she leaned her head back and kissed him. "I love it. Will you put it on me?"

Jose nodded and she lifted up her hair so he could do the clasp, then kissed the back of her neck before he leaned back up. "I'm glad you like it."

Sarah waited until he sat up again before reaching for the packaging on her present. Slowly, she pulled the strips of wrapping paper away to reveal a painting of a dark green dragon entwined with a rose. She drew in her breath and stared at it for a moment, then looked up at Jose with a shocked look. "How did you find this?" she asked, amazed. "I absolutely love it. Oh, it's perfect!" she said with a smile.

Draco leaned down a little and reached out a hand to brush along the paint strokes. "That is some pretty amazing work…" Draco said quietly. "Who painted this?" He looked at Jose.

"Lorenzo Zamurrad," Jose answered.

Draco nodded. "I've heard of him. He's very up and coming, but by his work I'd say he's coming on strong."

Sarah got to her feet to put the painting someplace safe and kiss Jose on the cheek. "Thank you," she said. "I love it; it's prefect."

Jose winked. "Exactly what I thought when I saw it."

Draco chuckled and leaned over to the table, picking up a thick envelope and a box. He handed the envelope to Kacey and the box to Sarah. "Happy birthday, love," he smiled, kissing her forehead.

Sarah grinned and quickly opened the box, gasping. Inside was a silver dragon pendant with a few well-placed emeralds in it. "Oh, Draco. I absolutely love it!" she exclaimed. "It's beautiful! Please help me put it on!" Draco chuckled and helped his fiancé put on her new necklace. When she dropped her hair again, she turned around and kissed him with a passion. "Thank you," she said with a shy smile when she pulled away. Her cheeks went red at the whistles from James, Sirius, and Remus and she mock-glared at them. "Shut up," she muttered.

Draco laughed. "I'm glad you like it."

Kacey grinned at her sister and Draco. "Can I open mine now?" She asked, with bright eyes.

Draco chuckled. "Yeah."

Quickly, Kacey opened the envelope and pulled out the paper that was inside. On top was a letter, and she started to read, gasping in shock when she was halfway through. "Oh my god. Oh my god, Draco. What did you-?" she broke off and looked at the next sheet. Her eyes widened so much it was comical and Sirius chuckled. She moved to the last thing in the envelope—what looked like a small catalogue and sucked in her breath. "Draco…they're beautiful…"

"There are a bunch of samples of her work in the catalogue," Draco said quietly, clearing his throat. "You can base the design off one in there or start from scratch. I assure you, she's very good. Only the best for my soon-to-be sister-in-law."

Sarah turned and glanced at Draco, then leaned towards Kacey. "Kacey, what did he get you?"

Kacey was blinking, still slightly in shock, but she looked up when she heard her name. "Four hundred Galleons towards a wedding dress designed by Pixie Palani," she said slowly. "That's so generous, Draco. I..I don't know what to say…thank you so much."

Sarah's eyes widened. "Wow," she said in shock. Then she narrowed her eyes slightly. "Draco…how did you get designs from her? We're in the past."

Draco grinned and winked. "I pretended to be my father and made sure there were no ending dates on the credit. She looks very young, but she's actually quite old. She designed my mother's wedding dress and with a few quick spells, I was able to change some of the old designs to some of her new ones. My mother gets the catalogue every month."

Kacey beamed at him and got to her feet, throwing her arms around his neck. "Thank you so much," she said. "That was too generous, but thank you."

Draco just shook his head and made clear that it wasn't a big deal, but no one missed the blush that appeared on his cheeks. Sarah giggled at him and leaned over to kiss his cheek.

Sirius grabbed two identical rectangular shaped packages next, and handed one to each of the twins. "From Harry," he proclaimed.

"It's not much," Harry said, "but I wanted you to have something for when you moved in together. Think of it as an early wedding shower present. And I'll get you another when you actually have a shower."

Kacey and Sarah grinned at him and opened the packages at the same time, grinning when they saw the sheet sets. Harry had given Sarah a green set, and Kacey a red set.

They thanked him, and Sarah said, "You know, with this green color scheme, people are going to start thinking I'm a Slytherin."

Kacey laughed. "You're marrying one, so you better get used to it," she said, "and, I know you told me that you were nearly sorted into Slytherin."

Sarah shrugged. "That is true. What's next?"

Sirius carried two more identical packages to Kacey and Sarah. These looked very similar to the painting Jose had gotten Sarah, and Ginny gave a little wave before they opened them.

"Those are from me," she said with an excited grin.

When they opened the packages, they discovered identical paintings of Kacey, Sarah, Hermione, and Ginny. The twins both gasped.

"Oh, Ginny, this is amazing!" Kacey said, astonished.

"Yes, Ginny, these are awesome. Mine's definitely getting hung up when we move in together, Draco," Sarah said.

Draco chuckled. "If someone had told me five years ago that I would have a picture of Granger and the Weaslette on my wall, I probably would have sent them to St. Mungo's."

Ginny grinned. "But you love us now, so it's all good," she said sweetly.

Draco laughed and Jose huffed from his spot next to Kacey. "You just had to one-up me, didn't you?" he said to Ginny with a slight grin. "I find a wonderful painting for Sarah and you go ahead and get two paintings, one for each of them." He shook his head exasperatedly, and the group laughed.

Sirius handed out the next presents, which were smaller packages, and from Ron, who shrugged when they grinned at him. "It's not much, but I figured they went with your personalities, so you'll find something to wear with them."

They ripped open the paper to reveal brightly colored knee socks and both promptly burst out laughing.

"They're perfect!" Sarah said with a grin, ripping open the package and putting on a pair of socks, mismatching them. Everyone laughed.

"Sarah, you do realize they have matches, right?" James asked with a raised eyebrow.

Sarah looked affronted. "Of course I do, I just figured I'd mix it up a little first."

Kacey grinned at her sister and then Ron. "They're great!" she said, opening the package as well. She, however, put on a matching pair to chuckles from the group.

The next packages were a little heavier than the few before them and they were from Hermione.

"Three guesses what those are!" Ron said with a grin.

"Oh, oh I know!" Harry exclaimed. "They're books!"

Hermione scoffed and her cheeks went red. "Shut up!" she said indignantly.

Ron threw an arm around her. "We're just kidding with you, love. You know we love you."

Harry kissed the top of Hermione's head. "Yeah, 'Mione, you know we love you."

Kacey and Sarah grinned at the Golden Trio and turned to their presents. They both tore off the paper to reveal sets of two books. One was a book on everything to know about planning weddings, both Muggle and wizard, and the other was a cookbook. They both thanked Hermione after she had been teased more about buying them books.

Sirius handed over two identical envelopes next, from Kathy and Joe. With smiles, both opened the envelopes, and both twins mouths dropped open when they pulled out the paper inside.

"Oh my god, what did you get?" they said in unison, showing each other the checks before looking up at their parents. "Thank you so much!" They also said at the same time.

Everyone laughed at their continued speech in unison. Both girls got up and took turns hugging their parents. "That was overly generous of you," Kacey said.

"Thank you so much, you didn't have to do that," Sarah said with a grateful smile.

Kathy shrugged. "It was our pleasure. We're going to be paying for your weddings anyways, we thought we might as well help our future selves out," she said with a grin.

The twins both laughed and thanked them again.

"What did they give you?" Jose asked.

"Money towards the weddings," Sarah said, showing Draco the check. His eyes widened slightly when he saw that it was 200 Galleons, but he nodded his thanks to Sarah's parents.

Kacey showed Jose as well, who also thanked Joe and Kathy.

Sirius grabbed two large boxes from the floor and passed them over to the twins next.

Kacey looked at the label and then looked up with a grin. "James, what did you get us?" she asked amusedly.

James shrugged, working his innocent look as best as he could.

Sarah and Kacey laughed and opened the boxes to reveal a ton of Zonko's products—probably fifty Galleons worth. They both started laughing immediately, and then looked at each other with wide grins.

"Uh oh," Jose said. "I don't like the looks of those smiles."

Kacey sighed and looked at him with mild disappointment. "Oh, babe, you don't think we'd pull a prank on you, do you?"

Jose laughed. "I wouldn't put it past you, honey," he said, and the rest laughed.

Draco leaned down to whisper in Sarah's ear, "You're not going to prank me, are you?"

Sarah grinned and turned her head to kiss him lightly. "Only if you deserve it," she said nonchalantly.

He grinned down at her. "Well, then I guess I should make sure to stay on your good side," he laughed.

Sirius raised his eyebrows at Kacey and Sarah. "Do you really think you'll be able to use those products as effectively as the Marauders?"

Kacey looked affronted. "Was that a challenge, Mr. Black?"

Sirius narrowed his eyes, but before he could open his mouth to answer, Sarah smiled cat-like. "Challenge accepted," she said with a smirk rivaling her fiancés.

"Sirius!" James exclaimed. "We don't actually know their pranking history! Why would you do that?" He faked desperation.

Jose laughed. "Good luck, Marauders, or at least Sirius. You're going to need it."

Sirius sighed and picked up two more identical packages. "From Lilyflower," he said as he handed them over with a flourish.

"Are those books?' James asked his girlfriend, grinning down at her.

Lily sighed. "You'll have to wait and see," she said airily.

Sarah and Kacey ripped open the wrapping paper, and they both grinned when they realized they were holding scrapbooks. Both immediately opened them and flipped through a few pages before looking up. "Lily, these are so cool," Sarah said.

"What's in them?" Ron asked.

"They're scrapbooks of our time in the past with a ton of pictures inside," Kacey answered. " Lily, these mean so much, thank you."

"Yes, thank you so much," Sarah smiled.

Sirius picked up two gift bags and held them impatiently in front of the twins. "Alright, Lilyflower gave you pictures. My turn. Well, mine and Celeste's, that is. Open them slowly."

Sarah and Kacey both took the bags, glancing at each other and then back at the presents warily. It was Kacey who moved first and pulled out the top sheet of tissue paper. She gasped and looked up at Sirius with narrowed eyes. "Seriously?!" she exclaimed.

"What did he do?" Sarah demanded, taking out the top sheet of tissue paper. When she looked in the bag, her mouth dropped open and her face went red. "Sirius!" She cried, "What—why-?" She couldn't finish a sentence.

"What did they get you?" Draco asked, leaning over to grab the bag.

Sarah held it away from him, blushing. "Nothing," she said quickly.

Kacey, on the other hand, handed the bag to Jose with a sly smile. He peeked in the bag and his eyes widened. "Well," he said casually, "That might be more of a gift for me than her." Kacey hit his arm.

"Jose!"

Draco held out his hand to Sarah for the bag and she handed it over, cheeks still red. He looked inside, face unreadable, and then looked up at Sirius, raising an eyebrow. "Care to tell me how, exactly, you acquired the sizes for this?" He asked silkily.

Sirius smirked. "Celeste got them. And don't pretend you don't appreciate it. The color was picked out just for you," he said with a wink.

"I'd guessed that," Draco said dryly, handing the bag back to Sarah and leaning over to whisper, "You hold onto that, love."

Sarah's cheeks reddened even more and Sirius wolf-whistled. " Jose, Draco, no thanks needed. I know our present is much appreciated."

Draco said nothing, but his lips quirked, and Jose grinned, leaning over to kiss Kacey's forehead and hand the bag back to her. "Surprise me," he said to her quietly, and she giggled, her cheeks going a little pink.

Sarah cleared her throat, trying to avoid the eyes of everyone else. "Let's move on, Sirius. Thank you to you and Celeste, although if you plan to gift something like that again, I'd prefer you not do in front of fifteen other people," she said with a slight laugh.

There were some chuckles as Sirius handed over the next couple of gift bags. "Sweetheart, I wouldn't be Sirius Black if I catered to your sensitivities," he said with a grin.

"Alright, Black, she's not your sweetheart," Draco said mildly.

Sarah reached up to squeeze Draco's hand, and then grinned at Kacey before they started opening their present.

"Those are from Remus and Katie," Sirius said.

Both girls grinned as they pulled out packages of Honeydukes chocolate, and a book each. Sarah held a book on dragons, and Kacey a book on Puerto Rico.

"Chocolate is always appreciated, Remus and Katie," Sarah said with a grin. "And this book looks really interesting."

Kacey nodded in agreement to the statement about chocolate, and flipped through her book. "This is cool," she said, "Now I'll know more about Puerto Rico when we go to visit Jose's family." Jose grinned and leaned over to kiss Kacey's forehead.

"I can't wait for you to meet them as my fiance."

Sirius held up the last two envelopes that were on the table. "These are from Peter, who had to go home because his mother isn't doing well."

The girls took them and opened the cards, smiling at the happy birthday wishes from Peter, while wondering if his mother really was sick. They were sure the same thing was running through Harry's head. When they looked up to see Ginny reach over to grab Harry's hand and squeeze it, they knew it was probably on Ginny, Hermione, and Ron's minds as well. The twins exchanged looks before smiling around at everyone.

"Thank you all so much for our presents. You've all made this day really special." Sarah said.

"Yes, everything was wonderful: breakfast, presents, and spending this time with all of you," Kacey said.

"Alright!" James grinned after everyone said 'you're welcome' one more time. "Bopsy!"

A little elf appeared in their midst with a clean, white tea towel around it's waist, and a little red tea cozy on its head. "Master James, what can Bopsy do to help?" The little elf said with a smile, bouncing so that it's bat-like ears flapped.

"Bopsy, could you and Mipsy bring me the special concoction you put together for me this morning?" James asked slyly.

The elf nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, sir, Mr. James! Bopsy will be back soon!" With a POP, it disappeared. Five seconds later, it reappeared with another little elf, this one wearing a flowered tea towel like a toga, and a gold bow in between its ears. They were carrying a large chocolate cake between them lit up with a ton of candles.

Upon the elves reappearance, the group around the twins started singing a raucous rendition of 'happy birthday.' Draco smirked and shook his head at them all, not used to these types of birthday celebrations, but he leaned down and sang the song in Sarah's ear anyway.

When the group ended the song, with quite a few opera-like endings—courtesy of the Marauders and Jose—Sarah and Kacey glanced at each other before leaning forward and blowing out the candles. They all went out for a moment, but everyone jumped when suddenly a mini-fireworks display went off over the cake.

Kacey's mouth dropped open. "What kind of candles are these?" She asked incredulously.

"They're from Zonko's," James said. "Give them a minute and they'll be done." He turned to his elves. "Thank you Bopsy and Mipsy. You can have the rest of the afternoon off," he said with a smile.

The elves nodded enthusiastically once more, and then disappeared.

Sarah and Kacey took turns cutting the cake and they all dug in when the pieces were distributed. All of it was gone by the time the party broke up, which was several hours later, and everyone went back to their respective common rooms.


	22. Chapter 21: Divulging Marauder Secrets

Chapter 21: Divulging Marauder Secrets

James and the time travelers sat in the Heads Common Room. He was playing Ron in Wizards Chess while the others did some homework or read, but he was barely paying attention to the game. His leg bounced as he waited impatiently for Lily to return from wherever she was.

"C'mon, James, usually you're better competition than this," Ron said with a grin. "What's up, mate?"

James blinked and looked at Ron, then shook his head. "Nothing, just thinking," he replied.

At that moment, Lily came through the portrait hole and waved at everyone with a smile. She came over to James and kissed the top of his head, observing the board. "Not doing so well, are you?" She asked, smirking.

James chuckled, "Nope, not today. I've got to go soon, anyway." He paused a moment. "Lils…" Getting to his feet, he grabbed her hand and led her across the room and around the corner, to outside their bedrooms. "I can't make patrols tonight," he said firmly, cringing slightly as he awaited her reaction.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Oh really?" She asked suspiciously. "And why not?"

James swallowed and averted his eyes. "I have something I need to do. It's an emergency. I promise, if I could avoid it, I would." He glanced at his watch. "But right now, I have to go. I'm sorry." He started to slip by her, but she grabbed his wrist, digging her nails into his arm.

"If one of your pranks goes off in the next twenty-four hours, you're dead, Potter. And you better give me a better explanation than that tomorrow," Lily snapped, before she let him go.

He glanced back at her apologetically before he turned and headed out of the dormitory and towards the Gryffindor Common Room.

Remus glanced at the door to the dormitory when he heard the familiar footsteps of his girlfriend headed up the stairs. She entered the room after knocking quickly on the door and headed to sit next to him on his bed.

"Hello, love," he said, leaning over to kiss her on the cheek. She murmured hello and went to turn his face towards her again to give him a real kiss, but he stopped her. "Not here," he said, slightly hoarsely.

She looked at him quizzically and he smirked slightly. "Haven't you done any research about werewolves?" He asked, amused.

Katie sighed. "I've looked a little, but when the books keep going on about their vicious nature and the pain they go through every month, I just can't bring myself to keep reading." She said quietly.

Remus smiled. "You're reading the wrong chapters," he said, nudging her. "During the full moon, a werewolf's instinct to mate gets stronger, and when you're sitting on my bed an hour before the sun sets and the full moon rises, it's not such a good idea to kiss me."

Katie's cheeks went red. "Oh," she said, smiling slightly. "Well, then. I came to walk you down to the hospital wing. Are you ready to go?"

Remus nodded. "Yeah." He got to his feet and grabbed a chocolate bar off his nightstand, biting into it before grabbing her hand and heading out of the dormitory.

They walked in silence for a bit, before Katie's brow furrowed. "Remus…how do your friends get out of the castle without being seen? A stag and a dog are pretty noticeable."

Remus glanced over at her appraisingly for a moment, before he shrugged. "I suppose I can tell you. James has an invisibility cloak," he said with a smirk. "And we've also got a very special charmed piece of parchment to aid us in sneaking around."

Katie looked at his proud and mischievous face and pursed her lips. "And what, exactly, does this enchanted piece of parchment do?"

Remus grinned. "It's a map of Hogwarts, and it shows every person in the castle and their location. Makes it quite a bit easier to pull things off."

Katie's mouth dropped open. "How did you get something like that?" She exclaimed.

Remus grinned again. "We made it." Katie stared at him and he squeezed her hand. "We're here." he said, a little glum.

Katie sighed. "Good luck, I guess. I don't really know what to say," she gave a half-hearted chuckle. "I love you."

Remus grinned and before she could let of his hand, he tugged her back to him and pulled her into a bruising kiss. When her mouth opened in a gasp, he deepened the kiss and Katie groaned. He tasted like chocolate. A moment later, he pulled away. "I love you, too," he murmured, kissing her again, before he walked past her to the doors to the hospital wing, leaving his dazed girlfriend standing in the middle of the hallway.

With the time travelers otherwise occupied that night, Lily fumed to herself until it was time for patrols. While on her walk, she came across Celeste waiting outside the Gryffindor Portrait Hole. She narrowed her eyes slightly.

"Is Sirius in there?" She demanded.

Celeste sighed. "I don't think so. I met him earlier and then when he left, I forgot I had a question for him. So I came back to see him, but the boy I asked said he wasn't anywhere to be seen. Where's James? Isn't he supposed to be patrolling with you?"

Lily huffed. "Yes. He said he had an emergency to take care of tonight. I don't know where he went, or when he'll be back."

Celeste smiled slightly and got to her feet. "When I need to clear my head, I go for a walk on the grounds sometimes. What do you say? You're the girlfriend of a Marauder, you've got to break rules sometimes. Let's take a walk."

Lily hesitated, and then sighed in resignation. "Alright. It's Monday night. It's not as if there's many people using the broom closets tonight. Usually just you and Sirius and since you're here, then no one."

They started walking down the hallways and stairs until they reached the doors in the Entrance Hall. They didn't talk except for the occasional whisper, figuring they could vent to each other once they left the castle. Covertly looking around, they tiptoed to the door, smothering giggles with their hands as they cracked it open and slipped out into the night. They were silent for a few more minutes as they walked towards the lake, away from the light of the castle.

Lily looked up at the sky and smiled slightly. "I was ready to light my wand once we left the lights of the castle, but the moon is bright tonight."

Celeste nodded. "Yeah, I love the reflection on the lake." She was silent a moment, and then looked over at Lily with a smirk. "So, what do you think the Marauders are up to tonight?" She asked, slightly amused when Lily's eyes went hard with anger.

"I don't know," she said shortly. "But I told James he was dead if a prank gets set off in the next twenty-four hours. He claimed he couldn't make patrols because of an emergency, but if it was a real emergency, don't you think he should have informed his girlfriend of what it was?!" She started pacing, annoyed, but also slightly anxious. "Why isn't he telling me what's wrong if it's serious?" She glanced back at Celeste, who looked sympathetic.

"I know what you mean. Come on, let's walk along the edge of the forest. But Sirius didn't even mention to me that he was going out somewhere tonight. If James wasn't gone too, I might think he's cheating on me."

Lily sucked in her breath. "Celeste! I know Sirius is a player and all, or was, but he's never cheated on anyone. And he would certainly never cheat on you."

Celeste sighed and rolled her eyes slightly. "I know, I know. But it's also nerve-wracking because you know there are girls who would slip love potions in their drinks. The fact that James' absence was premeditated makes me feel a lot better about Sirius'."

Lily nodded in understanding. "Sometimes I wonder if they're entirely sane," she commented.

Celeste burst out laughing, and only paused when they suddenly heard a howl from the forest. It was followed by a dog barking excitedly. Lily and Celeste glanced towards the forest, and Lily smiled slightly. "Hagrid must be out tonight," she commented. "That dog of his is a sweetheart."

Celeste snorted. "Sort of paradoxical to name such a sweet dog Devil."

Lily laughed lightly and then stopped walking. "Shh," she said, grabbing Celeste's arm. "I think they're coming this way. We could get in huge trouble!"

Celeste laughed lightly again. "It wouldn't hurt for you to get a detention once in a while, you know," she said, amused. "Besides, if we beg him, or ask him in the right way, Hagrid might not even turn us in."

Lily hesitated a moment, and the barking got louder before she nodded. "Okay." She took a step forward when suddenly a big black dog that was certainly _not_ Devil, jumped out of the forest, barking. Lily screamed and Celeste yelped. The dog turned towards them immediately and started growling. They took steps backwards and paused when it turned back to the forest and yipped warningly. Suddenly, antlers came into view from the trees, and the head of a stag peeked out. It looked at the dog, and then it's eyes, large and hazel, stared at the girls for a split second before it turned and ran back into the forest. The girls heard a loud growl coming from the forest and their eyes turned back to the dog in front of them. They clutched each other's hands as they heard what sounded like a fight between the stag and the other dog. The black dog was still in front of them, and it glanced into the forest once before it crossed the distance between them in two leaps, and suddenly, Sirius Black was standing where the dog had been.

Both girls gasped and Lily immediately started in on him. "What do you think you're doing out here past curfew? And a dog? What the bloody hell is going on here?! Where's James? If this is what he skipped patrols for-!"

"Will you just shut up for one moment and listen for once?" Sirius snarled. Lily shut her mouth in shock. "Get out of here. I mean it. Go back to the castle, and wait up all night for James if you feel like it, but go back to the castle _now_. Both of you."

Celeste found her voice. "But Sirius, what is going on?"

"Celeste, just—" he glanced towards the growls from the forest and clenched his teeth. "I'll be fine. I need you both to go back to the castle. Celeste, meet me in the Room of Requirement tomorrow morning an hour before breakfast. Now go!" And with those final words, he turned and disappeared into the forest, a dog once more. The girls took one look at each other, and then ran for the castle.

Lily was reading a book in the Head common room when James came through the Portrait Hole. He stopped in the doorway and looked at her warily. She finished the paragraph she was on, marked her place, and then looked up. One glance at her face and James was absolutely certain that she was livid, not that there was any doubt. They stared at each other in silence, her glaring at him, him looking at her with his head slightly down, waiting for her rant.

"Well?" She said softly. "Where were you last night?"

James suddenly realized that she was so angry, she was not going to yell at him. She'd never reacted like this to anything else that he had done. He felt like he was standing in front of his mother after that time he'd accidentally blown up a dungbomb underneath his grandmother Potter's chair. It hadn't mattered that it was completely by accident—his intended target had been his brother.

He walked forward and sank onto the couch across from her chair. "Before I tell you—" she cut him off.

"No. No disclaimers. Tell me what you were doing."

James gritted his teeth slightly and sighed. "Just listen to me. If you want to know what I was doing last night and why, you need to know the whole story." He paused a moment and then opened his mouth to speak, but froze. The words wouldn't come out. He'd never said them out loud before, and even though Remus had given him permission, this still felt like it wasn't his secret to tell. He swallowed hard, and Lily scrutinized him.

"James," she said quietly. "You claimed it was an emergency, and you didn't tell me what it was. Don't you trust me?"

James looked up, surprised. "Lils, of course I trust you, this is just hard for me to say, because it's really not my secret. Well, the reason for everything isn't." Before she could speak, before he could stall again, he blurted, "Remus is a werewolf."

Lily stared at him in shock. Her mouth had fallen open. "_What?_" she whispered incredulously. "No…I don't believe it…" she trailed off and James could see the wheels turning in her head, he saw her put the pieces together, and he saw the sorrow on her face when she realized he was telling the truth. "Oh, poor Remus…" she whispered. "I can't believe I didn't see it."

James gave her a half-hearted smile, and she narrowed her eyes at him slightly. "James. This doesn't explain what you were doing last night," she accused. Suddenly she gasped in horror. "James! Did he—Are you-?" She broke off, unable to finish the thought.

James jumped to his feet, crossing to her and kneeling in front of her, placing his hands on her knees. "No," he said quickly. "No, that's not it. After every full moon, he'd come back so beaten up. We didn't know what was wrong at first, and we didn't know where he disappeared to every month, but Sirius and I figured it out soon enough. And we realized that he hadn't just been hiding his condition from us, but the injuries from it, as well. He's alone every full moon as a creature that doesn't remember how to be human. He scratched and bit himself to pieces. It was only when we visited him in the hospital wing one morning after that we saw him before Madame Pomfrey was able to heal him. We did research on werewolves—well, me and Sirius did. Peter's not much for extra-curricular studying. In our research, we realized that only humans are harmed by the werewolf—animals can't be turned by a bite. We also knew that animals are more comfortable, more content, in a pack. So we thought, why not become Animagi? Remus wouldn't be alone, and he wouldn't beat himself up so much. It took us two years, but we finally managed it. It would have been a surprise but Peter needed more help than Sirius or I could give him," he chuckled. "So we had to tell Remus, and the look on his face was…worth all the work we did to succeed." He looked away from Lily, trying to hide the fact that his eyes had teared up at the memory of Remus' face when he realized what his friends had done for him.

There was silence for a moment, and then Lily put a hand on his cheek to turn his head towards hers. A tear had dripped down his face, and her cheeks were streaked with tears. "James," she said quietly, "I love you."

James' eyes widened in shock, and he was silent, staring at her. After a moment, Lily bit her lip uncertainly, and he snapped out of his daze, leaning forward and meeting her lips in a kiss. He slid his hands into her hair, holding her head to his as he tugged on her lower lip with his teeth and deepened the kiss. Her hands dropped from his face and she gripped his arms, falling to her knees in front of him so that their bodies pressed together. He'd never kissed her like this before—like she was the only girl he ever wanted. He pulled away after a moment, leaving both of them gasping for air, and leaned his forehead against hers.

"I've waited years to hear you say that to me," he murmured, meeting her lips in a gentle kiss. When he pulled back, he stared into her eyes. "I love you, too," he said.

Lily smiled at him and he chuckled slightly, wrapping an arm around her waist to pull her into a tight hug. He buried his face in her neck, inhaling her sweet scent and kissed her collarbone. "I didn't expect that response to my confession," he said with a smirk as he pulled away.

Lily blushed and smiled, embarrassed. "There is so much more to you than I ever thought there was."

James' cheeks went red. "Not really," he muttered.

Lily laughed. "Really. What you did for Remus…well, if I had known about that before, I probably would have given you a chance sooner. It would have ripped away my opinion of you as an egocentric prat."

James snorted. "Well, maybe if I had gotten off my high horse sooner and stopped trying to impress you, I would have started impressing you earlier."

"Believe it or not, you've always kind of impressed me, I just never wanted to admit it. Your pranks have always been pretty brilliant. But Animagi…what animal are you?"

"A stag," James said quietly, glancing away.

"So you…you fought Remus tonight. To keep him away from us."

James shrugged. "Yeah," he avoided her eyes, and Lily narrowed hers suspiciously.

"You're not supposed to be out on the grounds with him, are you?"

James shrugged sheepishly. "He's more calm out in the open, or in the forest. Besides, we aren't really supposed to be out with him at all."

"Are you hurt at all?" She asked.

"Just some scratches," James muttered, waving it off.

Lily smirked slightly. "Come on. Shirt off. I'll see what I can do."

He hesitated for a moment, and then pulled his shirt over his head and dropped it on the floor next to them. "They aren't that bad," he said, shrugging again. He smirked slightly when he realized Lily was staring at his chest. "Lils?"

She blinked and looked up at him, blushing when she met his eyes. "Sorry. I don't think I've ever seen you shirtless before and been able to look without causing some smartass comment I'd kill you for. I honestly didn't even notice the scratches," she muttered.

James laughed. "They'll go in a few days. They always do. The transformation helps with healing. You could always kiss them to make them feel better though?" He turned the suggestion into a question, lifting an eyebrow and trying to hide his smile unsuccessfully.

Lily giggled. "Not tonight, lover boy. We have the added danger of anyone being able to walk into the living room at any minute, including our son."

James made a face and waved his hand to the side. "Ah, he won't care. Apparently he saw the memory of you and me after our Defense Against the Dark Arts O.W.L., so he'll probably just be relieved that we're together."

Lily huffed and rolled her eyes. "That may be, but we're still his parents, and I'm sure he has no interest in seeing it."

James grinned, but slowly his smile faded slightly. "I suppose since I let you in on one big Marauder secret, I should let you in on the rest as well."

Lily raised an eyebrow. "There's more?"

James smirked slightly. "Yes, Lilykins. There's more. Our forms may be the secret to our nicknames and a big part of the Marauders bond, but the secret to our success at mischief…well, that's a different story." James went over to his bag, which he'd left on the couch earlier, and pulled out a silvery cloak and an old worn piece of parchment. When he reached Lily again, he threw the cloak around her shoulders and dropped to the ground again, sitting in front of her.

"James! What-?" She broke off when she looked down at herself, and realized she couldn't see her body. "Oh my god. What is—is this what I think it is?" she asked, astonished.

"If you think it's an invisibility cloak, then yes, it is what you think it is." James smiled slightly.

Lily huffed, trying to feign annoyance, but couldn't hide her smile. "So this is how you get away with everything!" She exclaimed. Her eyes caught on the parchment, and she snatched it from his hands eagerly. "What's this?" She opened it, puzzled to find it blank, and looked up at him. Her confused look turned determined when she saw him smirking at her. She looked back down at the parchment and pulled out her wand. "Reveal your secrets," she murmured. She didn't look up at James as slowly, words appeared across the parchment.

'_Mr. Moony presents his compliments to Miss Lily and wonders why she's suddenly developed an interest in mischief.'_

'_Mr. Prongs agrees with Mr. Moony and would like to add that Miss Lily is the most beautiful woman he's ever laid eyes on.'_

'_Mr. Padfoot apologizes for Mr. Prongs' obsessive feelings for Miss Lily and requests that she return this parchment to Mr. Prongs' trunk.'_

'_Mr. Wormtail bids Miss Lily a good night and wonders why she is snooping in Mr. Prongs' trunk in the first place.'_

When the writing stopped, Lily looked up in astonishment. "James…what is this?"

In answer, James pulled out his wand, pointed it at the parchment, and murmured, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

Lily's eyes widened when the writing disappeared and lines began to appear instead. "Mssrs Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs present to you the Marauders Map," she read. Slowly, she opened it and her eyes widened when she saw the detail that lay inside.

James pointed to where the Head Dorm was on the map, and Lily gasped when she noticed the dots proclaiming that James Potter and Lily Evans sat in the Heads Common Room. "So this is how you do it. This is how you avoid and hide from everyone when you're setting up your pranks!"

"Technically, we didn't create the map until two years ago, so it was the cloak until then, but yes. This is how we do it."

"James…this is amazing," she said in awe, bending over it to look closer. "I can't believe you created this!" she exclaimed.

James nodded. "It's enchanted with the Homonculous Charm, and so it isn't fooled by any type of enchantment, and it never lies."

Lily's eyes widened. "You performed the Homonculous Charm in your fifth year? That's N.E.W.T. level!"

James' cheeks pinkened slightly. "It took us a few tries, but Remus and I figured it out."

"Wow. How do you make it go blank again?"

James pointed his wand at it and said, "Mischief managed."

Sirius made his way to the Room of Requirement before breakfast, as requested by Celeste. When he reached the door, which appeared to him as he approached, he opened it and stepped in warily. Celeste was sitting on the couch waiting for him, and turned towards the door when he walked in. He stood in the doorway for a moment, and Celeste raised an eyebrow at him.

"Well? Are you going to explain what was going on last night?" she asked.

Sirius nodded and crossed the room to sit on the couch next to her. "Well, as you could tell…I'm an Animagus."

Celeste nodded slowly. "An illegal Animagus," she said. "When did you become an Animagus?"

"Fifth year. James, Peter, and I became Animagi to help Remus." He paused and Celeste scrutinized him. "Remus is a werewolf," he stated and kept his eyes on Celeste, watching her carefully for a reaction. She was pureblood, so he wasn't sure what her reaction would be. Her parents weren't as traditionally prejudiced as his were, but sometimes that didn't matter. One wrong word from her and he would be gone.

She sucked in her breath slightly, and nodded slowly, her face going pale. "Since when?" she breathed.

"He was five years old when he was bitten. We figured it out in our third year and soon realized that he was beating himself up every full moon. James and I did some research and discovered that animals aren't harmed by werewolves—or they aren't affected by the cursed wounds. So we decided to learn to become Animagi to keep him company every month. He has less injuries now, and the few scratches we get are worth it to see the look on his face when he knows we'll be there with him."

Celeste stared at him and then smiled slightly. "I don't think I realized how sweet you were until you told me that," she said, leaning over to kiss him on the cheek.

Sirius scoffed. "Sweet! Am not! I guess I'll have to tell you the other Marauder secrets to sway your opinion of me as sweet."

Celeste laughed. "Well, your mischievousness only serves to portray you as endearing, which kind of goes hand in hand with sweet."

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Haven't you wondered how we pull off our pranks so successfully?"

Celeste laughed lightly. "Sirius, I think everyone's wondered how you pull off your pranks so successfully," she said wryly.

Sirius nodded slightly. "Well, for the first few years, we managed it with just James' invisibility cloak. He inherited it from his father. The second secret, however, is the special one. After we all had our Animagus forms, and we came up with our nicknames, we created a map."

Celeste looked at him questioningly. "A map of Hogwarts?"

"Not just any map of Hogwarts…a map that shows every occupant in the castle and their location every minute of every day."

Celeste stared at him. "I don't know if I believe you," she said, narrowing her eyes.

Sirius tilted his head towards her. "Have I ever lied to you?"

She pursed her lips. "Not that I know of, but that doesn't mean you didn't."

Sirius sat up straight and looked affronted. "I've never lied to you," he said firmly. "And I'm serious about the map. It talks to people who don't know how to reveal it. So, I should tell you, that if you ever need to use it, the password is 'I solemnly swear I am up to no good.'"

Celeste snorted and rolled her eyes. "Of course it is."

"And to wipe it clean, you say 'mischief managed.'"

Celeste nodded. "Okay." She glanced at her watch. "Well…we still have about a half an hour before breakfast, you know."

Sirius raised an eyebrow when she got to her feet. "Oh? And what do you suppose we do with our time?" He murmured in a low voice, getting to his feet when Celeste held out her hand to him. Behind her, a full-sized four poster bed appeared. Sirius smiled wolfishly. "I like the way you think, love."

Celeste raised an eyebrow as she sat back on the bed and Sirius stepped between her legs. "Can you make it quick, Black?" She asked, reaching for the buttons on his shirt.

Sirius slid his hands up her legs and underneath her shirt to her bare back. "I think so," he replied in a low voice, before he leaned down and kissed her.


	23. Chapter 22: You're Different

Chapter 22: You're Different

A month had gone by since the secrets of the Marauders were told to their significant others, and things were going well. The only downside—in some ways, at least—was that Professor Dumbledore had not found a way to send the time travelers back to the future. Most of them were getting very concerned that the time they were gone was aligned with the time they spent here, meaning they had technically been missing for months, and their parents would be beyond worried. Harry, of course, was merely concerned about the Weasleys, whom he considered his family, as he knew they would be just as worried for him as they were for Ginny and Ron. Sarah and Kacey were worried about what their parents thought as well, but also not sure whether or not they'd remember their current visit to the past. If they did, it stood to reason that they would know their girls were okay. If not, there was bound to be more panic, especially after what happened to their brother. Draco was the only one not really concerned with his parents, as he explained that his mother was fairly removed from reality after the atrocities that invaded her home during the last year of the war. Also, his father was in prison, and was angry with him anyway for his apparent betrayal—he had testified against his father at his trial and blamed him for his earlier beliefs and involvement on the Dark side of the war. As it was, Hermione was starting to spend all hours of the evening in the library, researching time travel. She was exhausting the books on the subject.

Being stuck here also had the added disadvantage of having to deal with war again. Harry was having a particularly hard time, because there was nothing he could do to change anything or end the war sooner. All of their futures depended on things happening exactly the way they did before. At night before going to sleep, he often thought of all the people he could save, and in those moments, he hated being here. He felt so helpless, unable to save his parents, or their friends. He usually sought out Ginny, and she held him until he saw how lucky he was that at least he got to return with some memories of his parents.

Now, it was April fourth, Celeste's birthday, and after Sirius took her on a date in Hogsmeade on the next day's trip, they were planning a surprise party. The friends all greeted her with happy birthdays and hugs, and she grinned, joining them at the Gryffindor table. Celeste, though popular with boys, never really had many friends before she began dating Sirius, and so being surrounded by people on her birthday was exciting and new for her. When the owl post came she was excited to see letters from her parents, her little brother, and some of her other family members.

It wasn't until Hermione opened her newspaper and gasped in horror that the joyful mood of the morning evaporated. She looked up and met Harry's eyes, and he knew immediately that it was something to do with the war. Silently he held out his hand for the paper, and Hermione hesitated, but slowly handed it to him.

"_You-Know-Who Shows Elevated Power with Attack on Muggle London,"_ he read. "_Late last night, at approximately ten PM, Death Eaters Apparated into the Leaky Cauldron and immediately exited onto Charring Cross Road and began attacking Muggles with a variety of dark spells. This Thursday night was particularly busy, with shops open late, and many Muggles out in the streets. Aurors responded immediately upon alerts of wizards breaking the International Statute of Secrecy, but the moment they began to arrive, Death Eaters apparated away. It's been concluded that this attack was merely a show of power, and a declaration of intent. There were several fatalities and many injuries resulting from the attack. Judging from the amount of damage done to the citizens and the surroundings, crime investigators suspect You-Know-Who's ranks have increased. Citizens are advised to read the section on page 3 about protecting yourselves and your family members._" When he finished reading, Harry looked up to see his friends staring at him with pale faces. His fists clenched around the paper, and Ginny grabbed his hand.

"There's nothing you could have done," she said quietly, aware of what he was thinking.

"There are Slytherins missing," James said in a low voice, calling attention to him. It was true, many seventh year Slytherins were missing.

Sirius whipped around, scanning the table for his brother. When he failed to find him, his face dropped and he pushed away from the table, stalking out of the Great Hall.

Celeste looked after him and slowly got to her feet. "I'm going to make sure he's alright," she said quietly, following him out of the Great Hall. She didn't try to catch up with him, merely followed him up to the seventh floor and into the Room of Requirement. He knew she was behind him, because he held the door to the Room open for her. She let it close behind her and stood by the door as he sank onto the couch and put his head in his hands. She studied him for a second, and then slowly walked over and knelt in front of him, putting her hands on his knees. He lifted his head slightly and she looked into his face. His eyes were dark with sorrow and anger, and filled with tears. Slowly she reached up and wiped underneath his eyes, then ran a hand through his hair and held it against his neck, brushing her thumb across his cheek.

"What's up?" she asked softly.

Sirius swallowed, glanced away, and then looked back into her eyes. He didn't see a trace of pity, which encouraged him to speak. "I—I just—I wish I wasn't a Black." He moved his head down to rest his forehead against Celeste's.

"Is this about your brother?" she asked softly.

"Partly. We were raised to believe in the ideas that You Know Who is basing his group on. You know, Pureblood superiority and all that shit. My family is one of the worse ones, when it comes to believing in those ideals. I didn't buy into all that, but Regulus did. Two summers ago I ran away. I just left, and I'm certain they disowned me, or kept me from getting inheritance one way or another." He shrugged. "But my parents…they probably looked at the article this morning and smiled," He spit the last word out, disgusted.

Celeste squeezed his hands, wanting to look up at him, but accepting the fact that he felt more comfortable talking about his home life without looking at her. "Are they Death Eaters?" she asked.

"No. But believe me, they could be if they wanted to do the dirty work. They'd rather sit back and watch You Know Who clear the world of Muggles and Muggle-borns. My brother, though…I think he's taken the mark. And I have cousins who almost certainly have. But Regulus…he wasn't at breakfast this morning, which has to mean he participated in the attack last night. My own _brother_ killed innocent Muggles…" He trailed off and swallowed hard, then looked up at her with a tortured look on his face. "If my family is capable of such awful things, what does that say about me?"

Celeste took his face in her hands. "I don't care what your family has done—what matters is that you're different. You _chose_ to be different. We all have both light and dark inside of us. What matters is the part we choose to act on. That's who we really are. And you, Sirius Black, are a good man."*

Sirius stared at her for a long moment, and then he leaned down and kissed her gently on the lips. When he pulled away he stared into her eyes for another moment, and then said, "Marry me."

Celeste blinked in shock and then pulled back a little to look at him properly. "Did you…did you just say what I think you said?" she asked faintly.

"I…" Sirius swallowed hard and licked his lips. "Yeah. I did. I had this whole elaborate thing planned out, but I guess…when you said that, when you said that you saw me for _me_, and you didn't judge me by my family, it just slipped out." He paused and took hold of her hands. "The bottom line is, I love you. You and me, we fit somehow. We both managed to find each other after spending way too long with too many other people in our beds." Celeste snorted lightly, aware that anyone else would be conscious of the fact that mentioning all of the girls you'd been with before your intended, however discreetly, was an unwise move. Sirius smiled a little, and his cheeks reddened slightly. "Moving on. I've known for a while that I've wanted to spend my life with you. I love you more I've ever loved anyone—ever been able to love anyone. Will you marry me?" He slipped one hand from hers and dug in his pocket, pulling out a small dark red velvet box and flipping it open.

Celeste stared at the uncertain look on his face, aware that she'd never seen him look so nervous—in fact, she didn't think she'd ever seen him nervous at all. After a quick argument in her head on whether or not to prolong his nervousness, she decided against it and simply said, "Yes. Yes, Sirius, I'll marry you."

Sirius broke into a grin and leaned forward to kiss her. After pulling away, he pulled the ring out of the box and slipped it on her finger, then watched her face carefully as she looked down at it. Her eyes widened. It was red gold with three blue sapphires in the center, the middle one a little bigger than the others. Along the sides, there were a few more smaller sapphires that led about halfway around the band. She held her hand out and just stared the ring for a moment.

Sirius cleared his throat. "About the ring…if you don't like it, we can take it back, and pick out a new one, I just…I kind of wanted to make a statement. And we're…we're not exactly a couple that's going to fade into the background…and I guess I just wanted to show that I'm proud of us, and I'm proud of who I'm with. And…it's our House colors, which I'll admit had some—" She cut him off by placing a finger against his lips.

"Sirius. It's perfect. It's us." She smiled and his grin was slow in coming, but when it came, it lit up his face like she'd only ever seen before when he was with his best friends. She glowed with the knowledge that she put that look there this time.

Hating to break the moment, Celeste got to her feet. "As much as I hate to leave our little bubble, we have class," she said regretfully.

Sirius groaned but then smirked, leaning back against the couch with his arms along the back. Just like that, her cocky, confident, sexy Sirius was back. "Let's skip," he said, raising an eyebrow suggestively.

Celeste grinned and held her engagement ring up to his face. "Ravenclaw, remember? I'm not skipping class." She stepped forward and grabbed his hands, pulling him to his feet without stepping backwards, so her body was pressed against his. "We'll celebrate later," she said softly, leaning up to kiss him. He was just starting to respond when she pulled away and winked, turning to leave the room.

"I love you," he said as she walked away.

She paused and did a half-turn, holding her hand back to him. Grinning, he bounced forward and grabbed it, then led the way from the room and down the hallway.

"So…" he said as they walked. "Should we tell people now? Or wait?"

Celeste thought for a moment. "I…let's keep it under wraps for today. We can talk more tonight, after we celebrate, of course," she said with a grin.

"Okay," Sirius said, taking her hand and pulling out his wand as they walked. He tapped her ring and it disappeared from view, but she still felt the weight of it on her finger.

She smiled and kissed him on the cheek. "Good concealment charm. I love the way it feels—being able to know it's there. Just the weight of it is comforting."

Sirius smiled. "Good. I wouldn't want it to be a sort of weight on your shoulders, so they say."

Celeste giggled. "Never that," she said, and then glanced at her watch. "Now come on, we're going to be late."

After dinner, and a couple of hours _celebrating_ in the Room of Requirement, Celeste rolled over to rest her chin against Sirius' chest so she could look into his face. He propped his head up on a pillow, and ran a hand down her back. "So," he said.

"So," she replied, and then smiled, too happy to keep a straight face. "I love you."

Sirius grinned back at her. "I love you, too."

Celeste opened her mouth to ask him how they should go about telling people, but before she could speak, Sirius opened his mouth and blurted, "Let's get married tomorrow."

Celeste froze, mouth half open, in shock. "I…" she took a good look at her fiance's face, and realized he was nervous again. She smiled. "Nervous for the third time today, babe? Haven't you learned by now that I have trouble saying no to you?"

Sirius gave her a half-grin and blushed—something she was sure she'd never seen before. "I am incapable of saying no to you. And you have the power to kill me with a few words, so yes, I'm definitely nervous when asking life changing questions."

Celeste was so tempted to say that they all had the power to kill each other with a few words, being witches and wizards and all, but figured after this morning's debacle, this was a bad plan. Instead, she smiled. "Tomorrow?" she asked. "Don't we need time to plan?"

Sirius shrugged slightly. "I figured we could just grab James, Lily and Remus in the morning and find an official. Unless you want your dream wedding. But with the war and all…I guess I just want to know that you'll always be mine. Forever. No matter what."

Celeste thought of the play weddings she'd forced her brother to act in when they were younger, and the thoughts she'd had on what her wedding would look like. In that moment, she realized that the second Sirius had suggested getting married the next day, all of those thoughts had disappeared. All she saw now, was Sirius and herself saying their vows and then going home together with the knowledge that nothing would separate them.

"Okay."

The next morning, Sirius cornered James, Lily, and Remus before they entered the Great Hall. "Celeste and I have a request," he said quietly.

James raised his eyebrows. "A request?"

Sirius shrugged. "Okay, more like a demand. You three, and only you three, are coming with us to Hogsmeade today."

James narrowed his eyes at his best friend. "What are you up to, Padfoot? You're way too happy."

Sirius winked. "On the contrary, I am the perfect level of happy."

Lily grabbed Sirius' chin in her hand and scrutinized him. "I doesn't look like the 'prank look'," she murmured. "More like the 'girl look'. But if this is a prank, Mr. Black, you'll be sorry."

Sirius couldn't keep the grin off his face. "Great!" he said. "Meet you in the Entrance Hall at eleven. Lily, Remus, why don't you head into the hall. I'd like a word with James."

The two friends left, Lily looking back suspiciously, and Sirius stepped closer to James. "The party?" he asked.

"Everything's pretty much set."

Sirius nodded. "Okay. Talk to mini-Potter and tell him we'll be back around six for dinner, and then afterwards, I'll hold Celeste back, and we can surprise her. Also…you'll find out why soon enough, but have him add a congratulations banner to the happy birthday one. Don't address it to her, just a general congratulations banner that's separate from the birthday one."

James looked puzzled but nodded slowly. "Okay, Padfoot, whatever you say."

Sirius grinned. "Great!" he said, and turned around just as Celeste came down the stairs. He greeted her with a kiss and when he pulled away, her eyes were closed and she had a smile on her face. "Good morning," he murmured.

She opened her eyes. "Hi."

"I spoke to James, Lily, and Remus. They're meeting us here at eleven. I don't know if you want to do anything special to get ready…" he trailed off.

"Do you have rings?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

Sirius patted his pocket. "Yup. Right here. Portkey?"

Celeste nodded. "Yes, in my room. Okay. Let's go have breakfast, and then I'll get ready."

The walk to Hogsmeade was fairly silent until about halfway down the path, when Sirius turned to look around, and then grabbed his friends hands and dragged them into the woods.

"Sirius, what are you doing?" Lily demanded, pulling her wrist from his grasp.

Sirius grinned over at Celeste, who could barely contain her excitement. "You'll see, Lilyflower. Now, all of you take hold of this Portkey so we can get to where we're going."

Lily narrowed her eyes and looked at James, unsure if she was relieved or more panicked by the fact that he seemed just as confused as she was. He was looked steadily at Sirius, and when Sirius looked back at him, he asked, "What did I say to you fourth year, on Christmas? After the feast?"

Sirius snorted slightly, but nodded in understanding. "You told me you were in love with Lily, and I thought you were insane."

With a firm nod, James put a finger to the old goblet Celeste was holding out. Remus followed immediately, and Lily hesitated a second more, before grabbing James' other hand and doing the same. Sirius pulled out his wand, touched the can, and said "_Portus._"

They all felt the tug, and they landed in a beautiful garden, which appeared to be behind a church.

James whipped his head towards Sirius. "Padfoot, what are we doing at Godric's Cathedral?"

Celeste tucked the Portkey back into her bag and looked at their three friends. "Yesterday Sirius asked me to marry him. I said yes. We're getting married right now, and we wanted you three to be here."

This time, Lily was the only one unhesitant in her actions. She threw herself at Celeste and hugged her tight. "Congratulations!" she squealed.

Celeste laughed and hugged her back. Lily pulled away with a grin, and looked carefully at Celeste. "You're absolutely sure this is what you want to do?"

Celeste nodded, a little shy now. "More than anything."

Lily smiled. "Okay. Any last minute things I can help the bride with?"

Celeste wasn't able to hold back her smile. "A few charms. Let's go inside."

When they walked away, Remus and James both looked at Sirius in shock. "Wow…" James said slowly. "You know…I really never thought you would be the first of us to get married. Actually, I never thought you would get married at all."

Sirius nodded. "I know. Me either."

James grinned and hugged his friend. "Congratulations, mate."

When he pulled away, Remus leaned over and hugged him tight. "Congratulations, Padfoot." He pulled away and looked his friend over carefully. "Don't you mess this up."

Sirius nodded solemnly. "I have no intentions of doing so," he said firmly.

Remus grinned and pulled out his wand. "Let's just make a couple of adjustments to this outfit of yours."

Twenty minutes later, the minister had arrived and was standing at the front of the room with James, Sirius, and Remus. James and Remus had transfigured their outer robes to grey blazers, which they wore over white collared shirts and dark jeans. Sirius wore the same outfit, but with a black blazer and the addition of a dark red tie. The minister set up some light classical music to play in the background as the girls walked down the aisle. Lily wore a simple a-line red cocktail dress with a chiffon skirt that reached mid-thigh, and James smiled when he saw her.

When Sirius saw Celeste, he could only think of how she was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen in that moment. She wore a strapless white dress that was fitted to her body and also reached mid-thigh. On both sides, from top to bottom, there were light flowery designs in red thread. She had completed the outfit with a pair of high red patent leather open-toed heels. As Sirius watched her come down the aisle towards him, his eyes darkened and he only wanted to get to the end.

The minister said his piece, the bride and groom said their vows—although Sirius was not quite sure how he managed it, and they exchanged rings. After what seemed like forever to Sirius, the minister said, "I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

Before he had even finished his sentence, Sirius had grabbed Celeste around the waist and pulled her to him into a passionate kiss. She threaded her fingers in his hair and responded enthusiastically. It was only when James and Remus cleared their throats simultaneously, that they pulled slightly away from each other. Lily couldn't stop giggling.

Celeste put her hands on the lapels of Sirius' jacket and whispered, "You look so hot dressed like this."

Sirius grinned cockily and ran a hand down her back. "And I love this dress. And the shoes. I think you could keep those on later, Mrs. Black."

Celeste leaned forward to kiss him again. "Whatever you want."

They finally pulled apart when Lily tapped Sirius on the shoulder and demanded to hug the bride. James and Remus went over and slapped Sirius on the back. "Nice work."

"She's perfect for me, isn't she?" Sirius asked, not taking his eyes off of his new wife.

His friends nodded. "Pretty close to it."

"So?" Ginny asked Katie, "Any inkling of why we're adding a congratulations sign to this party?"

Katie shook her head. "I have no clue. James only told Harry to have one added. And Remus told me he was recruited to go into Hogsmeade with Sirius, which means mischief of some kind, I think. Or at least I thought…especially because James went with them. But then I found out that Lily also went with them, and what kind of mischief could they get up to with Lily around?"

Hermione snorted lightly. "Please…they could still get into some mischief with Lily. Have you compared Harry with Lily and James? He certainly doesn't get his mischief making from only one parent."

Ginny laughed. "That's true. There's a lot of both James and Lily in him." She jumped when arms wound around her waist from behind.

"Talking about me?" Harry murmured in her ear, raising an eyebrow to the other two girls.

"All good things, I assure you, " Ginny said with a laugh.

Hermione snorted lightly. "If you count mischief amongst good things."

Katie smiled at them. "Actually, we were wondering why we're adding a congratulations sign."

Harry shrugged. "I have no clue. James seemed pretty puzzled about it, too. I suppose we'll find out when they all get back."

Ron wandered over to pick some chips off of the food table. "Are you trying to decipher the congratulations sign?" he asked. "You don't think Lily and James got engaged, do you?"

"No," said Hermione immediately. "That doesn't happen until the end of the school year, does it?"

Harry shrugged. "Who knows? I suppose it's possible that we changed the timeline…I'm just going to wait and see," he finished decisively.

Hermione nodded in agreement then clapped her hands loudly. "Is everything all set?" she asked everyone.

The group standing by her nodded and the twins, Jose and Draco also nodded. "We just put the finishing touches on the cake," Kacey said. "I'm pretty sure she'll love it."

At that moment, the door swung open and James, Lily, and Remus walked in, their robes over their wedding outfits.

"Hey, all!" James said with a grin. "The place looks great!"

"Hermione, you did a brilliant job," Lily said, smiling at her.

"Hey!" Harry said jokingly, "Why does everyone always assume it was her?"

Lily smiled at him and ruffled his hair. "I'm not saying you didn't help, just insinuating that Hermione probably planned everything and made sure it was all done."

Harry nodded grudgingly. "Well, you'd be right. Where are Sirius and Celeste?"

"They're coming," Remus said, crossing the room to greet Katie. "We've got about five minutes to get in position."

The next five minutes were a blur, with Hermione and Lily shouting out orders for where everything should go and where everyone should stand. By the time the portrait started to open, they were all in place, and they waited until Celeste stepped through the doorway to yell, "SURPRISE! Happy Birthday, Celeste!"

Celeste's eyes widened and she slowly started to grin. "You guys, this is great! This is amazing! Thank you so much!" The friends all started to move forward and hug her, when Sirius held up his hands.

"Hold up! We've got news before you all rush forward and make it impossible to tell you at once!" He looked over at Celeste, who grinned at him, and took her hand.

Celeste slowly raised her left hand and held it out. "We got married," she said into the silence.

Katie, Sarah and Kacey were the first ones forward. The other time travelers were trying to connect the Sirius they knew when they were younger to the younger Sirius they had met now. "Congratulations!" They exclaimed, hugging her tight.

James and Remus came forward with grins and slapped Sirius on the back again. After that, the others came forward and congratulated the couple.

"When did this happen?" Ginny asked Celeste with a grin, and the others all fell silent to hear the story of the quick engagement.

Celeste smiled, "Well…we were talking in the Room of Requirement—"

"You asked her after sex, Sirius?!" James asked incredulously, before starting to laugh. "That is so typical!"

"I did not!" Sirius exclaimed. "I asked her yesterday morning, after she followed me out of the Great Hall."

"Oh," James said, a bit disappointed that he wouldn't be able to tell the more interesting story later.

Celeste rolled her eyes, and shrugged shyly when the girls asked what he said. "He just asked. He said, 'Marry me,' and then followed it up with…" she trailed off. "It was perfect. It was Sirius, and it was me, and it was perfect."

"And the ring?" Kacey asked excitedly.

Celeste laughed and held out her hand. "It's a little vivid…but it's also us."

Sarah giggled as she looked at it. "I like it. It's loud, and it's perfect for you, too. I really like the blue stones on the red."

Celeste smiled. "House colors, you know."

Sirius rolled his eyes and threw an arm around Celeste's shoulders. "Alright, now that you've examined everything, can we get some butterbeers here? I don't have long before I'm stealing my wife away to go to the Room of Requirement."

The others laughed and butterbeers were passed around, followed by pieces of cake cut by Lily.

**A/N: So, you've probably noticed the quote "We all have light and dark inside of us. What matters is the part we choose to act on." We are aware that this is actually said by Sirius in HP5, however we made it a little AU, by having Celeste say it to Sirius originally. We thought it fit. Hope you liked this one! Please review! Next up, we visit those in the future…**


	24. Chapter 23: Celeste

Chapter 23: Celeste

**A/N: Here's a preview into the future to see how everyone is coping with the disappearances. Hope you enjoy and please review! We love to hear what you think. **

_April 15, 1999_

Arthur Weasley arrived home from work to find that his sons were slowly arriving for dinner. Molly was finishing up cooking their weekly Sunday dinner—it was the one day their sons and their families all came over to eat together.

Bill and Fleur were sitting at one end of the table talking quietly, and Arthur hoped Molly didn't notice the secret little smile Fleur had on her face. She was dying for Bill to just give her grandchildren already, and Bill had recently told his father that they were trying to have a baby. However, he was pretty sure Fleur wasn't pregnant yet. Charlie was talking with George about opening a second shop in Hogsmeade—after Fred's death, Charlie had not gone back to Romania, and instead helped his brother with the shop. He had confided to Arthur that he was never going to go so far from home again or stay away that long. He'd missed so much. Percy was with his fiancé Audrey, talking seriously about one ministry function or another, and after Arthur greeted his wife, Percy quickly pulled him into the conversation. After the Final Battle, Arthur and Molly had accepted Percy back into the fold without much fuss—after losing Fred, holding a grudge against their other son was not an attractive idea. Percy's brothers and Ginny had taken a bit longer to come around, but not long. Any family was a support system at that point.

Luckily for Arthur, not long after Percy had drawn him into conversation, Molly came over to start serving dinner and ordered him to help her. She winked at him as she put their third eldest to work and he smiled gratefully at her.

When they were all seated, Molly took command of the conversation. "How was your day at work, Arthur?"

Arthur nodded slightly. "It was good. I met with Kingsley again today. He doesn't have any other news for us, but he says he has a whole team on it to figure out where they've gone."

Molly looked worried. "If it was rogue Death Eaters, wouldn't we know about where they were by now?" she asked, furrowing her brow.

"Hopefully," Arthur said with a grimace. "Rogue Death Eaters aren't the only place the team is looking, however. They've got people trying to figure out if it was spell damage or a trick played by other students at Hogwarts."

Molly pursed her lips in concern. The fact that her two youngest children, two adoptive children, and their friends were missing was a very sore spot for her, and she worried constantly.

Arthur reached over and put a hand on hers. "They'll find them, Molly."

At that moment, there was a knock on the door.

Molly and Arthur exchanged looks, and Molly got up to answer it. In the doorway stood a short, tanned, curvy woman in jeans and a jacket. She had long curly brunette hair that was pulled back in a messy ponytail and her blue eyes were uncertain. She also had a blue eyed, dark haired little girl on her hip. Upon seeing her, Molly gasped and paled, and the woman smiled weakly. She looked fairly young, but still had the look of someone who had gone through a war involving endless worry.

"Hi, Molly," the woman said in quiet voice.

"Celeste." Molly said quietly, staring at her for a moment before rushing forward to hug her. Celeste returned the hug as best as she could with the little girl on her hip. Arthur got to his feet and gently pried Molly away from Celeste. He then leaned forward and kissed Celeste on the top of the head, before pulling her inside and shutting the door behind her. "How have you been, Celeste?" Molly asked, putting her hands on her cheeks and looking her up and down.

Celeste smiled weakly again and shrugged. "As well as I could be, I suppose." She looked behind Molly and Arthur and nodded slightly. "Your sons have certainly grown."

"Oh, yes." Molly said, turning around. "Bill, Charlie—and Percy, you might remember her as well—this is Celeste, she was a member of the original Order of the Phoenix." All three waved and Celeste grinned at how old they'd gotten. "Next to Bill is his wife Fleur. Next to Percy is his fiancé Audrey, and that freckled troublemaker over there is George."

Celeste nodded slightly. "Hello, George, ladies, it's nice to meet you." She turned to Molly and Arthur. "I heard about…" she trailed off and the Weasley parents looked away slightly. "I was sorry to hear it."

Molly looked up with a sad smile. "Thank you, dear," she said. Suddenly she seemed to snap to attention. "Why don't you sit down? Eat with us. Tell us what you've been up to! Who's this little dear? Let me see her, I'll get her a high chair." She took the baby from Celeste's arms and went to get a high chair from the pantry as Arthur pulled out a chair next to Charlie for Celeste to sit.

When Molly came back in and settled the little girl in the chair, Celeste said, "That's my daughter Liliana Carina. She's three years old."

Molly brushed her hair back and looked closely at the little girl. "Celeste, she looks like…" Molly trailed off.

Celeste smiled half-heartedly. "I know. She's his." She paused and took in the curious looks of the Weasley children. "I'm Sirius Black's wife," she said in response. "I'd been away because of the war, and then Sirius' imprisonment. I came back briefly to see him after he escaped, and then left again when he was killed. Unfortunately, it wasn't exactly safe for the wife of a convicted Death Eater to be around. It didn't matter that he was wrongfully convicted."

"How's John?" Molly said, quickly changing the subject to what she hoped would be a happier note.

Celeste smiled for real this time. "He's great. He's been amazing, though he did inherit some of his father's mischievousness. Poor Jacob and Lyn, they've had so many pranks played on them…"

"Jacob?" Molly asked in surprise. "Not…" she trailed off and Celeste looked alarmed.

"I'm not sure if I was supposed to say anything. But yes, Jacob and Lyn are alive."

"Then that means…" Arthur began, his eyes wide with hope.

"Yeah. Allison's alive, too. We've been in America, away from the danger. Allison was the one who realized that it was over. She found the article in the newspaper and recognized Harry immediately."

"Is that why you're here?" Arthur asked.

"Partly," Celeste responded. "I'm here to get Harry, for one thing. Or at least to tell him. If his temper is anything like James' or Lily's, he's not going to be happy with anyone." She paused for a minute, and took in Arthur and Molly's stricken expressions. "Harry's not back yet, is he?" She looked around the table, and took in the grim faces that confirmed her statement.

Molly, however, narrowed her eyes at Celeste. "You know where they are," she accused.

"It's a long story," Celeste replied, sighing. "We all hoped that they would return on the same day they left, but apparently that wasn't the case." She paused a moment and then said, "They're in the past." There were shocked expressions all around the table. "They went back to my seventh year, and became friends with the Marauders, Lily, and I. And they're okay."

Molly was blinking in shock. "And you never told anyone? Never thought to warn any of us?"

"Professor Dumbledore told all of us who knew who they really were not to tell anyone."

Percy looked confused. "What do you mean, knew who they really were? There are rules against telling people from the past who you are!"

Celeste snorted slightly. "Well, Professor Dumbledore was never much for some rules, and this rule was one of them. He put everyone in the Head Dorm with James and Lily. There was no way that at least Lily wouldn't figure out about Harry, and then everything sort of fell apart from there."

Molly was staring at Celeste in shock and relief, before she suddenly got a horrified look on her face and shot up from the table, running up the stairs. She came back down a few moments later brandishing an old newspaper, which she thrust in front of Celeste's face.

Celeste glanced at the picture and grimaced. "That's him."

The picture showed a battle-worn Harry trying to look away from cameras and head back to the school from Hogsmeade. It was dated May 15, 1978. On the top of the page, in thick black letters, were the words, 'Mysterious Hero Saves Hogsmeade.'

After processing that what Celeste said was true, Molly looked at her sons, her eyes immediately picking out the one with the palest face.

"George Weasley, what did you do?"


	25. Chapter 24: The Battle

Chapter 24: The Battle

_May 14, 1978_

"So why did Peter say he wasn't coming again?" James asked Sirius.

"He said he had a lot of homework to catch up on."

James snorted. "He probably had some secret date he didn't want us to make fun of him for! Because Marauders skipping Hogsmeade for homework? That's unheard of."

Lily laughed slightly. "Marauders doing homework at all seems to be unheard of. James, I don't know when you get it done! You're never cramming last minute, like your son and Sirius, you don't get it done ahead of time like Hermione and I…I have no idea when you do it."

James straightened in his seat. "Well, Lilykins, that's a secret that I think I'll keep to myself."

Lily rolled her eyes.

The Marauders—minus Peter—their significant others, and the time travelers were seated at a large table in the Three Broomsticks for lunch. It was the last Hogsmeade weekend of the year, and the time travelers were getting fairly anxious about when they would be sent back. A few of them were discussing it at the other end of the table.

"This is getting worrying," Hermione said fretfully. "We've been here so long, and we still don't have a concrete reason why."

"We also still have no idea how to get back. I feel like Professor Dumbledore should have an answer for us by now," Kacey said, wringing her hands.

"Hermione, Kacey" Remus said from his seat next to Sarah, "Why don't you take a break from thinking about it for now. You've been thinking about it for almost two weeks straight."

Hermione sighed and exchanged glances with the other time travelers. The main reason they'd been thinking about it so much lately was because May 2 was the day of the Final Battle twenty years into the future. It had pulled things into perspective for all of them, because they'd been so used to being here, that it seemed to be the norm. But somehow, they had to get back to their own time.

Sarah sighed and nodded slowly. "Remus is right. We should talk about this later," she said, trying to convey to them that she thought they should discuss it privately, and also in not such a public place.

Kacey nodded quickly in agreement. "Yes, let's just—" Her words were cut off by an explosion outside. The force of it blew the windows of the Three Broomsticks inward and everyone inside was sprayed with glass.

Harry was on his feet immediately, wand out, followed closely by Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and Draco. Harry had a dark look on his face, and almost unconsciously, as the others followed his example and got to their feet with their wands out, they looked to him.

"Haven't I had enough of this?" Harry growled, staying still and alert for a moment to allow the dust to clear. He shook his head, getting the glass out of his hair, and soon started to see the telltale jets of light that signified a duel. Without hesitation, he started forward to the door and immediately started firing spells at the black cloaked figures in the street. Glancing upward, he saw the smoky green skull in the air above the place the Apothecary used to be. It was now replaced by the multi-colored fire caused by the mixture of heat and different potions ingredients.

As he fought, Harry slowly lost track of everyone in his group besides Ron, Hermione, and Ginny.

"_Reducto!" _Ginny yelled, and her spell shot past the Death Eater she was dueling when he ducked, and hit the Death Eater dueling Hermione.

As she watched in alarm, afraid the spell might hit Hermione, Ron yelled "_Stupefy!_" at the Death Eater fighting her, stunning him just before she was able to hex him.

In a distorted circle, the Trio and Ginny were able to fight their opponents and keep an eye on the others. However, when a loud CRACK split through the air, Harry sucked in his breath. Raw energy blew outward, stunning the two Death Eaters he and Ginny were fighting as his hand flew to his forehead. Immediately, he looked around with keen eyes, and when he finally located the tall, pale figure of Voldemort, he started towards him.

Ginny immediately took off after him, matching his strides as she grabbed his hand. "Harry, you can't kill him yet!" She exclaimed.

"I know," Harry said shortly, "But that doesn't mean I can't injure him."

Behind them, Ron, distracted by the energy Harry projected, was Stunned from the side and fell hard, hitting his head on the cobblestone road. Hermione gasped and quickly stunned the guilty Death Eater before levitating Ron to the side of the road. As she let him down to the ground and spun to keep fighting, she felt a searing hot pain across her cheek. With a curse, her hand flew to her face and came away bloody. She scowled and made her way back into the fray.

Kacey, Sarah, and Jose stood by the entrance to the Three Broomsticks for a moment, trying to make out who needed help. The twins had done some research on Healing spells while being homeschooled, and Jose knew a little as well. Not being very proficient fighters, they all figured they'd be better trying to help those who were hurt.

"There!" Kacey exclaimed, pointing to a fallen woman in the middle of the street whose son was shaking her insistently. "The little boy, look, we have to get him inside."

"Okay," Sarah replied, "I'll get the boy, Jose can levitate his mother, and you cover us, Kace."

The others nodded and they started forwards, blocking the spells aimed at them, and taking out Death Eaters when they could. Upon reaching the woman and her son, Jose levitated the woman, and Sarah quickly swooped in on the boy, "It's okay, honey, we're gonna help your mother," she said, picking him up.

Slowly, they made their way back to the Three Broomsticks, Kacey and Sarah blocking spells from hitting themselves, Jose, and the woman. Kacey let out a little scream and ran forward, the incantation for a shield charm on the tip of her tongue, but wasn't able to say it in time and Jose was hit with a red jet of light and went down, which meant the woman did too.

"Jose!" Kacey cried, and Sarah quickly grabbed her arm.

"It was just a Stunner, he'll be alright. Cover me, I'll get him. That man right there has the woman," she pointed to the man from town who came forward immediately to help and was levitating the woman inside.

Sarah quickly levitated Jose, and the group made their way back into the building before heading out again.

James grabbed Lily's arm and pulled her out of the way of a stray spell, sending a stunner at the Death Eater responsible. In response, Lily yelled, "_Protego!_", shielding them from the two stunners headed their way next. Suddenly she gasped and grabbed James' hand. "There's Harry! He's going straight for Voldemort!"

"_Stupefy!_" James yelled at another Death Eater, before he followed Lily's gaze and started forward. "Let's go."

They weaved and ducked through fighters, helping their friends when they could. They slowed down when they approached Voldemort and Harry, trying to figure out what Harry's strategy was for dealing with the Dark wizard, while helping Ginny shield him from stray curses and fight off the closest Death Eaters.

"Hello, Tom," Harry said, pointing his wand at the man. Voldemort responded with a Cruciatus Curse, which Harry dodged and then grinned. "Oh, I forgot. You don't like that name much, do you, Tom?" he taunted with a smirk.

"_Avada Kedavra!_" Voldemort yelled, and Harry dodged his second spell. "How dare you call me that filthy Muggle's name?! I am Lord Voldemort!" Voldemort screamed in rage.

Harry sent a cutting curse at him, which Voldemort dodged. "You've got a bit of temper, don't you, Tom?"

Voldemort sent two Cruciatus curses at Harry, who dodged one and wasn't able to dodge the other. Excruciating pain rippled through his muscles as he fell to his knees and then his back and screamed.

"Harry!" Three voices yelled.

"_Diffindo!_" James yelled, pointing his wand at Voldemort, who deflected the spell easily.

"Come now, Potter. You can do better than that for your brother, can't you?"

James sent another cutting curse at him, while Lily and Ginny quickly helped Harry to his feet.

"Well, well, if it isn't the Mudblood. One of my colleagues told me a lot about you two," Voldemort said, looking at James and Lily when James grabbed his girlfriends wrist. "Used to hate each other, clever and powerful. You could join me, you know. I could give you more power then you could ever imagine. Your families would be safe from death."

"I will never join you," James spat.

"I can't believe you think I would, either, you bastard!" Lily scowled.

Voldemort's face twisted into a snarl, and he whipped his wand towards James. A red jet of light flew towards him and knocked him back ten feet, where he landed with his leg at a strange angle. In quick succession, he sent a stunner towards Lily as well, which sent her into the path of a fire curse. Her red hair caught fire and Ginny quickly sent a jet of water at her before spinning back around to face Voldemort. Harry dodged the curse sent towards him and sent one back.

Sirius and Draco were working their way around the outside of the battle area, both trying to find certain Death Eaters. Sirius was trying to find and stun Regulus before he was killed or caught, and Draco was trying to find Severus and his father, knowing they had to stay alive through this battle. As they worked their way around, they took out Death Eaters who were fighting their friends, and fought anyone else who was trying to take out members of their side.

As they made their way around, they realized that Katie was fighting two Death Eaters, who both appeared to be stronger than her. Quickly, they sent spells at them, and one of them went down. The other spun around and froze for a moment before sending a stunner at Sirius, who suddenly found himself face to face with his brother. He dodged the first Stunner, and then each brother sent another at each other. Both hit, and both brothers fell to the ground, stunned.

Draco swallowed hard and his eyes met Remus', as Remus tried to fight his way to Katie, who looked relieved that Draco and Sirius had taken out the two Death Eaters. Draco turned to revive Sirius, when Katie suddenly looked horrified and screamed, "DUCK!" Draco did so immediately and Katie sent a stunner over his head, but the Death Eater had already shot off his spell, and the jet of orange fire hit Katie in the center of her chest. She fell and instantly started screaming.

"No!" Draco yelled, lunging forward.

His head snapped up at the next sound he heard—an inhuman roar coming from Remus, who suddenly looked devastated, cold, and fierce all at once. Draco was almost afraid of him and the methodic way he suddenly started shooting off spells. With a hard swallow, Draco leaned forward and shook Katie, whose screaming had died down to whimpers, and whose eyes were starting to close. "Katie, no, come on, don't do this."

He jumped when the twins dropped to their knees on either side of him, and Sarah gripped his arm. "What happened?" she asked desperately.

"She saved—one of the—she got hit with something, then started screaming. I don't know what it was." Draco stammered, blinking fast.

"Katie," Kacey said desperately. "Talk to me, wh—what's wrong? What happened?" She felt tears welling up in her eyes and dripping down her cheeks.

Sarah's grip on Draco's arm tightened as Katie looked up at them. "Burns," she whispered, her voice hoarse, and then cried out with pain. She grabbed Kacey's wrist. "Tell Rem—tell Remus I l—love him," she choked out, before suddenly screaming again weakly.

"No, no, Katie, you can tell him yourself! Katie, please!" Kacey took her head in her hands and tried to turn it towards her, but Katie eyes slid closed and her chest stopped moving.

Draco, Sarah, and Kacey stared at her for a moment, before suddenly a curse came out of nowhere and hit Draco in the chest. He flew backwards, blood spurting from his chest, and Sarah crawled after him, screaming "No!" She screamed again when a second curse hit her side and she started bleeding.

Kacey whipped her head up and brandished her wand at the culprit, sending a stunner at him which hit dead on. She quickly got to her feet, rushing towards her sister and Draco, when suddenly a curse hit the ground near her feet, exploding the cobblestone. She screamed and fell, reaching for her ankle, which was completely burnt.

"Kacey! Sarah! Draco!" Celeste's voice came through the dust, and Kacey sighed in relief when she realized they were closer to the Three Broomsticks than she thought. That was where Celeste was working.

"Help them first!" She exclaimed as Celeste came running towards her.

Harry was still fighting Voldemort when he heard Remus scream. Immediately, he started sending spells faster towards Voldemort and they seemed evenly matched at this point. Ginny was fighting Lucius Malfoy next to him and when he heard her scream in pain, he couldn't help but to look over at her. She was on the ground clutching her ankle, and Malfoy was grinning maliciously above her. In that split second of distraction, Harry was hit with another Cruciatus curse and he screamed. He heard Voldemort's cold laughter loudly, and then it stopped suddenly.

"Now, Tom, why don't you fight with someone more evenly matched to you?" Professor Dumbledore's voice was calm and suddenly the pain disappeared.

Harry sat up and started to scoot away, but cried out when a cutting curse hit the back of his shoulder. He turned his head as best he could to see that Lucius Malfoy had got him too. He quickly spun his wand towards him and caught Lucius by surprise with a stunning spell. Then he finished his trip towards Ginny and grabbed her hand.

"Are you alright?" He asked urgently.

"Am I alright?" Ginny exclaimed. "You're shoulder's spewing blood!"

Harry grimaced and tried to look at it. "I wouldn't say spewing is the word," he responded, smiling slightly.

Ginny huffed and they both turned to watch as Dumbledore and Voldemort dueled. Harry could only remember the last time he'd seen it, and it was just as magnificent as the day in the Ministry of Magic. It wasn't long before Voldemort and the other Death Eaters disapparated, and Dumbledore took a deep breath and turned to face Harry and Ginny.

"Are you both alright?"

Ginny shrugged from her spot on the ground, and Harry nodded slightly, but his eyes widened as his head wobbled. His face went deathly pale and Ginny looked at him, alarmed.

"Professor, I think he might have lost too much blood."

Harry blinked, and suddenly everything went black.


	26. Chapter 25: Recovery

Chapter 25: Recovery

**A/N: The aftermath of the battle…**

Harry didn't know what time it was when he finally came to. He kept his eyes closed for a moment, realizing immediately that he was not in his own bed. It didn't take long for the events at Hogsmeade to come rushing back to him, and he realized he was probably in the Hospital Wing.

"Any sign of him waking up?" Ron's voice sounded quietly from one side of his bed.

"Not yet. Madame Pomfrey said he should be coming to soon, though. He lost a good bit of blood, and he'll probably have a bit of a scar," Harry could tell Ginny was grimacing as she said the last sentence.

"How's your ankle?" Hermione asked.

"It's fine. It was a little tender, but I've been sitting here for a while, so it should be alright when I actually have to get up and move around. How's your head, Ron?"

"It's good. The concussion's gone because Madame Pomfrey gave me a head clearing potion."

Harry cleared his throat slightly. "She should have given you one of those ages ago," He rasped.

"Harry!" He opened his tired eyes and looked straight into Ginny's anxious ones.

"Hey, love," he murmured quietly. "How is everyone?"

Ginny huffed. "For Merlin's sake, can't you ever be concerned with yourself for once? You lost quite a bit of blood, mister, and your first concern is always somebody else."

Harry rolled his eyes slightly, and tried to sit up. Ron immediately stepped forward to help him and when he was upright, Harry said, "Well, I've had injuries worse than this."

Ginny narrowed her eyes. "Is that supposed to make me feel better?" she demanded.

"You're a lot like James." Harry turned his head quickly to see Lily standing at the end of his bed, smiling wryly. She had a bandage wrapped around one arm, and her hair was cut a few inches shorter.

"That's a good thing, Lils," James said, coming up next to her.

Ginny snorted, and the others laughed slightly.

"Where's everyone else?" Harry asked.

"Over here!" Kacey's voice came from his other side and he turned his head to see her wave. Jose also nodded at him from his place besides Kacey's bed. "Half of my leg got burned pretty bad, so Pomfrey told me to stay put," she shrugged. "Sarah and Draco are still under sleeping draughts. They also got hit with cutting curses, but in the chest and stomach—they were hurt a little worse. Madame Pomfrey's going to keep them out for another few hours. Sirius and Remus are down that end," she pointed, and her voice became somber with the last sentence.

"Remus," Harry stated. "I heard him."

"Harry…" Ginny leaned forward and ran a hand through her fiancés hair to comfort him. "Katie didn't make it."

Harry sucked in his breath, and felt a pit grow in his stomach. "That was…that's when I heard him," he murmured. He looked towards the end of the hospital wing where Remus and Sirius were sitting.

They had their backs to the rest of the group, and both boys heads were bowed. As Harry watched, Sirius leaned over to put an arm around Remus, and the heartbroken boy's shoulders started to shake.

Harry was released from the hospital wing the next morning. Madame Pomfrey was keeping Kacey, Sarah, and Draco for another night, and had ordered Lily back to the wing twice so she could check on her burns.

After going to breakfast and seeing that Remus was missing, Harry went to find him. He went back to his room, and used to Marauders Map to see that Remus was at the top of the Astronomy Tower.

When he pushed open the door, he saw his future mentor standing still and staring out over the grounds. He didn't move even when Harry moved forward to stand next to him.

"Hey," Harry said quietly.

Remus barely nodded in reply.

"I'm sorry," Harry tried again.

Remus snorted slightly. "And that's all anyone can ever say, can't they?" He muttered, clenching his fists.

Harry was silent, waiting. He didn't know how Remus dealt with grief, but decided if he stood in silence for a while, Remus might start to speak, and in his experience, it was better to talk about it than letting your feelings sit inside you and stew. Nearly ten minutes later, Remus finally spoke.

"I miss her," he began. "I didn't think I'd ever find someone who would accept me for who I am the way she did. She knew…and she still wanted to be with me." He was silent for another few moments. "When I saw her fall…I don't know what came over me. I just went after everyone. The man who did it…he dodged the Stunner, and I….I went after him, and I don't know if he's alive. I hit him with a cutting curse. As much as I wanted to kill him, I never actually intended to do it. I…if I did kill him, doesn't that make like them?"

Harry was going to be silent a few minutes after Remus finished speaking, but after this question, the word "No!" burst out of his mouth, loud enough to startle Remus, who looked over at him with wide eyes. Harry apologized quietly and took a deep breath. "Remus…we were in the middle of a battle. If you killed him, it was in self-defense and completely justified. And you can never be like them. The fact that you're feeling remorse for it just proves that you're not. And Katie…Remus, I know losing someone you love feels like the end of the world right now. Like you don't want to go on, but you _have_ to go on. It's hard, and sometimes, like now, you'll feel like giving up, but you can't give up. Katie wouldn't want that. She'd want you to fight, to keep fighting to prevent more killing and torturing of innocent people." He paused for a moment. "And I know you don't want to hear this now, or even ever, but it will get better. Soon, the pain will fade a little, and you'll have good memories of her. She'd want you to remember the good, and to use it to keep you going when you're in a bad spot." Cautiously, Harry reached up and put a hand on Remus' shoulder, squeezing it slightly. When Remus met his eyes with red-rimmed ones of his own, Harry smiled sadly. "Take a minute. Then come inside when you're ready. We're all here for you." Then he turned and walked down the stairs, back to the common room, and back to Ginny.

"Well, I'd say this attack has definitely put some things in perspective," Draco said quietly.

Kacey nodded slowly. "We need to get back," she said.

Sarah sighed. "We don't know how! We've all been researching—we've even gotten permission from Professor Dumbledore to look in the Restricted Section. Nothing we've found would have allowed us to travel forward in time. Most of the incantations are for travelling back."

Ron tilted back in his chair and Hermione narrowed her eyes at him and grabbed the arm of it, pulling it back to all four legs with a crash. Ron yelped. "Hermione, bloody hell!" She merely raised an eyebrow at him, and he sighed. "Fine. I think this has the twins written all over it."

"What?" Kacey said. "We didn't do this!"

"I wouldn't even know how to go about this," Sarah chimed in.

"Not you," Ron said, waving them off. "Fred and George." He paused. "Well, George."

"Maybe they figured it all out before Fred died, and then George sent us all back?" Hermione suggested.

Ron thought about it and nodded slowly. "It makes sense. Gin, what do you think?"

Ginny was laying on her back at the foot of Draco's bed, lost in thought, but she snapped to attention when she heard her name. "I—what?"

Hermione rolled her eyes and huffed. "If you'd been listening, you would know that we were trying to figure out how we can get back. Ron thinks Fred and George might have come up with this scheme, and then George executed it."

Ginny pursed her lips as she thought, and then she shrugged, which looked rather weird when she was lying down. "I suppose that makes sense. Unfortunately, that also means we're not getting back home until George decides to retrieve us. Anything the twins would have come up with is probably brand new and completely original, which means they invented both the way to get us here and the way to get us back."

They all sat in silent thought for a moment.

"I've always thought they were pretty brilliant, really," Draco said suddenly.

Hermione snorted slightly. "Me too, I suppose, even when I scolded them for playing pranks and testing their products on students."

Draco's eyes widened. "They tested their products on students?!" He asked incredulously.

Ron snorted. "Of course they did. Hermione was the only one brave enough to try and stop them."

Hermione narrowed her eyes at Ron. "I was a prefect, and in case you've forgotten, so were you. You should have been right behind me."

Ron rolled his eyes. "Do you have any idea what they would do to me if I had tried to stand up to them? I would have been their next test subject. Not to mention they probably would have embarrassed me about the fact that I liked you," he said, cheeks growing red.

Hermione sighed and tried to hide her smile. "Back to the topic at hand," she said quickly, "Ginny, are you saying we should just wait until George summons us back?"

"Well, if it's a potion or spell that they came up with, there's nothing else we can do. While some of their products have the same effects that other potions or spells do, the regular counter curses or antidotes don't work on someone who's been affected by their product. They change something vital in the way it's made, or the way it affects the person, that prevents a regular counter-curse from working. I still haven't quite figured out how they did it," Ron explained, suddenly trailing off when he noticed everyone staring at him.

"How do you know that?" Ginny asked, after a moment of shocked silence.

Ron went red. "I've been working around the shop to help George. I just pick things up. And he's been letting me help with some things and I've gotten the gist of how some things work. And that's one of the things I realized." He shrugged slightly and looked down at his knees.

Hermione sighed slightly. "Well, then I suppose the only thing to do is wait."

"I'll tell Harry what we've discussed later," Ginny said.

**A/N: Please tell us what you think! **


	27. Chapter 26: Graduation

Chapter 26: Graduation

The next few weeks went by relatively quickly, what with N.E.W.T.'s and all. After the battle and the subsequent discussion over how the time travelers had gotten back in time, Hermione had thrown herself into studying right beside Lily. The fact that she may have to take her N.E.W.T.'s seriously in this time convinced her to start studying for at least two hours more per day than the four hours she'd started with. As a result, she was exhausted, and nearly had a nervous breakdown two days before the tests started. Thankfully, Ron had managed to distract her for a few hours that night, and subsequently prevented that. Between Lily and Hermione, and besides that one night, the girls had every one of their friends studying right alongside them. Harry had decided that he and his fellow time travelers could wait to keep researching a way back, partly because of the chance that the antidote could only be set off by one of the Weasley twins, and partly because Harry knew that having them study and research simultaneously would definitely send Hermione to the hospital wing. Instead they studied, like Hermione told them to, and they were much less likely to argue this time around, partly because studying kept their minds off of the battle that had happened weeks before. It also kept their minds off of the fact that Remus had spent the last few weeks secluded in the library. When they did see him in classes and at occasional meals, he looked pale and gaunt. He'd lost weight—probably because he'd stopped eating as much, and the few days after the Full Moon he'd looked like death warmed over. He'd also refused to allow his fellow Marauders to go to the Shrieking Shack that night, even going so far as to put a ward over the door to keep them out.

James, Sirius, and everyone else were getting desperate as the end of the year grew closer and Remus showed no signs of coming back to them. They caught a reprieve however, when almost twenty minutes after the last exam, Remus had passed out and been sent to the hospital wing. The next morning, James and Sirius had gone into the wing and shut themselves behind screens at Remus' bed. They spent three hours talking to him, and that night, the night before graduation, he was in the Head Common with the rest of them. He looked glum, and wasn't participating in the conversation much, but he was there, and James and Sirius looked relieved at that at least.

"So what's Dumbledore having you guys do after the school year ends?" James asked Harry.

Harry sighed. "We're going to stay in the castle and try to find some solution to this whole thing. As much as I love being here, we have to go back. None of us belong here, and soon enough I don't think I'll be able to stop myself from changing things. What's everyone else doing?"

"Lily, Remus, and I are moving into our own flat. I've already got the deed set, and we'll be there for a little while. We're joining the Order of the Phoenix before we leave on the train, and our time will probably be occupied doing that. I've got the money to support us all," James explained.

"Celeste and I are taking a month to ourselves. We'll probably head to a wizarding hotel in France for a honeymoon of sorts," Sirius said with a grin. "After that, we're coming home and starting to work with the Order of the Phoenix. I've also got enough money to support us."

Harry just nodded in reply to these stories, though his mind dwelled on the fact that the reason he knew they had enough money was because he'd inherited both their fortunes after their deaths. Ginny showed her remarkable skill of knowing him well when she squeezed his hand, probably aware of what he'd been thinking.

"We'll all come and visit you," Lily said with a grin. "If we don't have much else to do, we can help you research, and we'll also probably be coming by for Order business, so we'll be able to visit you then, too."

Ginny grinned. "Cool. We'd definitely like to see you more before we're sent back."

"Even though we have no idea when that's going to happen," Kacey said with a roll of her eyes.

"Tell me about it," Sarah said. "I mean, Kace and I can invent things, but coming up with the exact antidote to this time travel spell or potion is going to be tricky, especially because we don't even have a sample of the catalyst to analyze."

Draco snorted. "They obviously want you here for a while, Harry. I'm not sure what they want you to see, exactly, or experience, but it must range over this amount of time."

Jose furrowed his brow. "You don't think they sent you back without a way to get us to the future again, do you?"

"No," Ginny said immediately. "Do you have any idea what Mum would do to poor George? And he'd be taking the punishment for Fred, too, so it'd be even worse. They know the risks, and if Mum finds out it was them before we're back, they better have a long and detailed explanation of why they did it, when we're coming back, and how they're getting us back. So at least we have the reassurance that if it is them, we'll be going back at some point. I just don't know when."

They were all silent for a few minutes, before Sirius changed the subject and soon had them all laughing. They talked for a bit longer, and then all decided to go to bed early before graduation the next day.

James was sweating. The chairs were all set up on the grounds in front of the school, with the students in their assigned seats and the parents in the seats behind them. The professors were seated on one side of the stage, and he and Lily were seated on the other side. He had no idea why he'd decided to try and pull this all off in one day. His graduation speech was hard enough, but what he had planned later may just cause him to faint before the end of the day. He hoped that didn't happen—he'd never hear the end of it from Sirius. Although, honestly, it might get Remus out of his funk for at least a few minutes.

As it was, Professor Dumbledore was greeting everyone, and James knew that he and Lily would be called up to speak at any moment—or second, apparently.

"And now, class of 1978, I'd like to present to you your Head Boy and Girl, James Potter and Lily Evans, to say some final words." The grounds rang with applause and James got to his feet, trying to hide the fact that his hands were trembling from Lily, who looked perfectly cool and collected—though he wasn't sure how. He realized he hadn't fooled her though, when once they were behind the podium, she took his hand and squeezed once before letting it go to organize their notes.

"_Sonorus,_" she muttered, pointing her wand at her throat. James did the same—he had almost forgotten. He was usually so confident, but what he had planned later was throwing him off completely. Not to mention the fact that he usually only had the attention of the school with something fun. This speech was serious, so it was different. "Good morning students, teachers, and families," Lily began. "It's been a long seven years, although sometimes it seems they've gone by in the blink of an eye."

James leaned forward. "Some of us arrived nervous and scared, unsure of what to expect," he said.

"And some of us arrived confident and cocky, ready to show everyone else that they knew exactly what they were doing," Lily said, and the audience laughed when she pointedly elbowed James. Just like that, his confidence was back. Everything would work out.

"But no matter how we arrived, we were all sorted, and eventually we all made life-long friends that we'll never forget and hopefully never lose touch with," James continued. "Our housemates became our families, and those from other houses became friends that we've stuck with to get through the years of tough teachers, feuding fellow students, and nasty exams."

"Tomorrow," Lily cut in, "we leave this place of safety and knowledge to enter the world we've been training for, for seven years. Recently, however, this world has been thrown into a conflict that could affect the rest of our lives. We're not going to preach to you about which side you should choose, because most of you have already chosen. We're not going to tell you that it's going to get dangerous, because most of you already know."

"What we are going to tell you," James spoke up strongly, "is to remember."

"Remember the day the Hufflepuffs spoons lifted into the air at breakfast and started buzzing like bees. Remember the day the Slytherins robes all turned pink until they genuinely gave a compliment to someone from another house," Lily's eyes sparkled as she said this part. "Remember the day the Ravenclaws' books went invisible for twelve hours. And most of all, remember the day that four particular Gryffindors walked around flashing all the colors of the rainbow." She grinned, and the audience laughed. James rolled his eyes and elbowed her slightly, aware, even if no one else was, that it was her who'd set up that prank.

"Remember the day Lily finally said yes!" Sirius' voice yelled out from the crowd, who burst out laughing again.

When James had contained himself, and the redness in Lily's cheeks had died down a little, he began speaking again. "Remember this place. Remember these people sitting next to you. Remember your friends—the family you've made. Remember them when it gets bad, whether because of this brewing war or any tough time in your life. Remember that you always have a home here, and Hogwarts will always help you as long as you believe. And remember to believe in yourself, because you can get anywhere and do anything as long as you believe in your own magic." James gave a cocky grin. "You are just about to graduate from a school of witchcraft and wizardry, you know."

The audience laughed again before Lily put her hand up. "Good luck, class of 1978!" She yelled, and the students jumped to their feet yelling and cheering and clapping.

James and Lily grinned and moved their notes aside to the list of their fellow students names. "Ready to graduate?" James grinned, and then they began calling people up. One-hundred and forty-five names later, and Lily and James said each other's names and walked to receive their diplomas, shaking hands with the Headmaster and each Head of House.

After they had received their diplomas, they stepped to the front of the stage, lifted the hats off their heads, and led their graduating class in the tradition of throwing them in the air—the only time during all seven years that all four houses threw them up together, all celebrating the same thing.

After the students had found their hats and met up with their parents, there was a feast in the Great Hall. Somehow, James couldn't remember a better feast in his time at Hogwarts, and there had been a lot of them. It was probably the loudest feast he'd ever been to, and the fact that he had Lily there right next to him only made it better.

After the feast, the newly graduated seventh years migrated out to the grounds of the school. Lily and James had put together a celebration with more food—including lots of dessert—music, and celebration.

James, Lily, and their friends from present and future had a blast. They danced, and Sirius, Ron, and Jose ate so much that their significant others thought they were going to explode. Soon enough, it started to get dark, and James started to get nervous again. Sirius tried to keep him laughing to distract him, but when Sirius disappeared with Remus and Peter, James really started to panic.

A few moments later, the fireworks started. He moved over to stand next to Lily, and threw an arm around her where she stood, looking up with confusion and awe. She jumped when he touched her and turned her head up to face him.

"Did you do this?" She asked.

James shrugged, giving her a smile that was more nervous than he would have liked. "I had a little help," he said casually as he watched his friends come back to their group. He slipped his free hand in his pocket, where it closed around the box that had been sitting there for what seemed like years. He squeezed Lily to him and tilted his head towards the sky. "Watch," he said casually.

During the fireworks show, James could feel his nervousness growing. When it neared the end, he slid arm down Lily's back until his hand rested in the center. Suddenly, with the loudest explosion yet, a bright white firework burst into the air and sparks fell slowly into the shape of a lily. Lily's mouth dropped open when a red firework shot into the sky and wrote "LILY, MARRY ME?" James quickly took his hand off Lily's back and knelt down on one knee.

She stood in shock for a moment, staring at the words in the sky, before she spun around to face him and took a step towards him. He heard the gasps all around him, and couldn't help but wonder desperately why he'd decided to do this in front of his whole graduating class.

"Hey, Lils," he began, smiling nervously, and when she smiled softly back at him, he bucked up his courage and spoke again. "I love you. You're amazing, and I've been in love with you for years. I will always remember and be thankful for the day you decided to give me a chance. We leave school tomorrow, and I am absolutely positive that I can't live without you. I don't want to leave without knowing that I have you forever. Lily Evans…will you make me the happiest man in the entire universe and become Lily Potter? That has a ring to it, don't you think?" He heard chuckles around him and he got serious again. "Will you marry me?" He flipped open the box to reveal a gold engagement ring encrusted with diamonds.

Her eyes didn't leave his when she stepped forward and grabbed his hand, pulled him to his feet, and kissed him. After a moment she pulled away and looked him in the eyes again. "_Yes_, James. Of course I will marry you."

He quickly took her hand and slipped the ring on her finger; then, not even giving her a chance to look at it, he crushed her to him and kissed her like she was his world.

After all, she was.

Harry stood a few feet away, his arm around Ginny's waist, staring in shock at the place where his parents were kissing. He didn't even realize there were tears on his cheeks until Ginny looked up at him and swiped her thumb under his eyes.

"Oh, Harry…" she murmured, and he smiled at her. She was glad to see it was a real smile, but was still surprised when he grabbed her and hugged her tightly.

"Remind me…" he started in a choked voice. "When we get back. Remind me to thank your brother for giving me the best gift I could have ever asked for."

**A/N: This is another of my favorite chapters so please review! We love to hear what you think!**


	28. Chapter 27: Birthdays and Goodbyes

Chapter 27: Birthdays and Goodbyes

**A/N: Hey everyone! This is our last real chapter—all that's left after this is the epilogue! Enjoy and please review! Thanks! –Sarah and Kacey**

When Harry stepped into the Great Hall for dinner on his birthday, he expected his friends from the future to be there, but he didn't expect his parents and friends from the past to be. They were, however, and the moment he walked in with Ginny, they all shouted, "SURPRISE!"

Harry grinned and moved forward, accepting all the hugs from the people he'd met and grown to love. They all exchanged pleasantries as they sat around the table and started to eat.

"How are you, Sirius? Celeste?" Harry asked, "We haven't seen you guys in a while."

Celeste grinned, and it lit up her face. "We just got back a few days ago. Paris was amazing, and then we went to a beach on the coast, and we had such a great time."

James snorted. "How much time did you spend seeing the sights? Sirius, have you lost your touch?" Lily hit him in the chest and he yelped indignantly. "What? When someone like Sirius comes back from a honeymoon, you don't expect to hear about the _sights_!"

"Do you want to hear about the sights and sounds of the hotel room?" Lily asked indignantly.

James grimaced immediately. "Right. Good point, Lils. Celeste, I'm glad you guys had fun in Paris."

Everyone laughed when he changed his tune. The rest of the meal went by with the same kind of camaraderie and humor that was expected when the Marauders were in a room. They had cake, and it wasn't until they were mostly done with that and ice cream, that Harry suddenly spoke seriously.

"Guys…I don't mean to bring the room down or anything, but for some reason, I'm getting this feeling that our visit here is almost over." He said quietly, and everyone around him looked surprised, before Ginny started to nod.

"I'm getting the same feeling," she said sadly.

One by one, the other times travelers admitted to feeling the same way, and James sighed.

"Well, if you have to go soon, we all want to give you this," James said to Harry. He leaned down and picked up a package wrapped in brown paper and tied with twine, then handed it to Harry. "Happy birthday," he said with a smile. Everyone echoed his statement and watched Harry with bated breath as he pulled the string and removed the wrapping to reveal a thick book.

When he opened it , however, he discovered it was a photo album, and the first picture was of him and his parents in their outfits from the Christmas ball. He stared at it in shock and silence for a long moment, and then flipped the page to reveal more photos of the time travelers with those from the past. He laughed at a picture of Draco and Sirius. When he came upon one of his mother and Ginny with their arms around each other, he felt a lump in his throat and hastily brought his fingers under his glasses to press them against his eyes. Ginny reached over and rubbed her hand up and down his back. When he had contained himself, he looked around the table at his friends and family.

"Thank you," he said hoarsely. "Thank you so much. You guys have given me…more than I could have imagined over our time here."

Lily jumped to her feet and rushed around the table, pulling him from his seat to hug him. he wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly. James came around more slowly and wrapped his arms around them both. Slowly, sensing that the Trio needed privacy, the others got up from the table and started to say their goodbyes.

When Lily, James, and Harry pulled out of the hug, they stared at each other, all with glassy eyes filled with tears. "I love you guys," Harry said. "I'm so glad I got to get to know you."

Lily threw her arms around him again. "We love you, too, Harry."

When she pulled away James put an arm around her to comfort her. "Harry, we're really proud of you." He stated. "Really, I don't think two parents could be more proud of their son than we are of you. You've grown into an amazing man, and we couldn't ask for anything more than that."

Harry nodded quickly. "Thank you," he said, in a choked voice. "That means a lot."

Reluctantly, the trio broke up to say their goodbyes to everyone else, but their eyes kept getting drawn to each other throughout the next few minutes. When everyone was done saying their goodbyes, most of them had tears in their eyes, and they slowly split up so the time travelers stood apart from those that belonged in the past.

They all stared at each other, before suddenly there was a great flash of lightning and a crack of thunder, almost exactly the same as last time. With another bright flash of light, the time travelers disappeared from the past.


	29. Epilogue: Home

Epilogue: Home

**A/N: Hey guys! This is our final chapter! Sorry it took so long, between work for me and school for Kacey, we've had a time of it trying to figure out when we could get together and post this. Enjoy!**

They landed with thumps on a hard wooden floor. When Harry opened his eyes, he realized they were in the kitchen at Grimmauld Place, and quickly looked over at the twins, Jose, and Draco. They were there and seemed perfectly fine, which was strange because they'd never been to Grimmauld before.

Everyone got to their feet and began brushing themselves off. Draco, the twins, and Jose looked around curiously, surprised at the dark feeling of the house. Draco pulled his wand out. "Does anyone know where we are?" he asked urgently.

"You can put your wand away," Harry answered. "We're at Grimmauld Place. It's mine, although I don't know how you guys are here, because it's under a lot of wards and enchantments."

Draco hmmed. "Maybe there was something put into the potion that sent us back to override them. Occasionally that's possible, as long as the people being sent there have no thoughts of harm in their heads."

"Maybe," Harry said. "We should probably make sure it's the right time, though. Kreacher!" he called.

It only took a few seconds before the elf appeared in front of Harry with a CRACK and bowed low. "Master Harry has returned, Kreacher is relieved."

"Hi, Kreacher. Can you tell us what the date it?"

"It's July 31, 1999. What can Kreacher do for Master and his friends? Kreacher sees Mister Ronald and Miss Hermione. And Mister Draco, Kreacher is surprised to see Mister Draco!" Kreacher bowed low to each of them in turn, and Harry tried to hide his smile.

"I don't think we need anything for now Kreacher, although…" he glanced over at the fireplace. "Do you know where any Floo Powder is?"

"Yes, Master Harry, Kreacher will return in a moment." Kreacher disappeared and reappeared a moment later, true to his word, with a burlap sack full of Floo powder. Harry thanked him and sent him back to Hogwarts, where he was working for now.

"Alright," he said. "Let's go to the Burrow. I'll follow you all."

They passed the bag of Floo Powder around and only when Harry, Ginny, and Draco were left, did Draco speak hesitantly. "Are you sure it will be okay for me to be there?" he asked, holding the bag tightly in one fist.

"Yes," Ginny sad firmly. "They better be fine with it. If not, well, they'll have to suffer the consequences."

Draco didn't laugh as she'd intended him to, and instead threw a handful of powder in the fireplace and disappeared in a flash of green flames.

"Ready?" Harry asked, amused at Ginny's look of apprehension.

She sighed, nodded, and pulled him into the fireplace with her.

When they stepped out into the Burrow's living room, it was chaos. Molly was yelling, Arthur was trying to calm her down, the Weasley brothers were staring in silence at Draco, and Ron was trying to argue with his mother.

With a sigh, Harry put his fingers in his mouth and whistled to get everyone to shut up. When everyone turned to him in surprise, he smiled slightly. "Hey, everyone. We're really sorry if we worried you all by disappearing like that, but we didn't realize we'd be gone, and we definitely didn't realize how long we'd be gone. I…we went back into the past," he paused for a moment. "To my parents seventh year."

He looked around at them all, saw the looks of shock, and then his eyes fell on George, whose face was unreadable, but whose eyes showed satisfaction. Without hesitation, Harry crossed the room and hugged him for a moment. George hesitated and then hugged Harry back. When he pulled away, he looked at George and swiped his fingers under his eyes. He'd cried too much today, but he met George's gaze straight on.

"Thank you," he said sincerely, and though he spoke quietly, everyone in the room heard loud and clear. "You gave me something I never thought I could have, and for that…I could never repay you enough."

"You know, the last time I heard someone whistle like that, it was your mother as she tried to get your father and Sirius' attention. Worked, too."

Everyone spun around and the time travelers froze at the familiar face in the doorway. She looked older, with some lines in her face, and the little girl on her hip was new, but the brunette curls were the same, and so were the bright blue eyes that shone with tears. There was a long moment of silence, before Harry spoke.

"Celeste?"

**A/N: Well, that's the end! We hope you enjoyed it—please review to let us know what you think! Thank you so much for reading our story! We've started planning the sequel, and will start writing soon but it may take us a bit—so we're sorry about that. What you read in the prologue will come back into play in the sequel, which has quite a few twists to the original canon—it's way AU. Sign up for Author Alert and it will let you know when we start to post! Thanks again!**

**-Sarah and Kacey 3**


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